Shannon Sharpe, Skip Bayless Rip 'Delusional' Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook was never going to be a fit for the Los Angeles Lakers. So it shouldn't be shocking that his first season in LA was an abject disaster. Russ didn't help himself with a tone deaf exit interview on Monday and now he's getting ripped for it. Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless teed off on Tuesday.
Westbrook essentially claimed he wasn't given a fair chance by now departed Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. Bayless didn't want to hear it:
Russ: "I was never given a fair chance."
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 12, 2022
“In all my years of watching every sport very closely, I have never, ever seen a player as defiantly delusional as this player." — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/RUsxniHS5X
Then it was Sharpe's turn to unload:
"Westbrook has no personal accountability. It's somebody else's fault. Who's airballing those shots? You, Vogel, the media or fans? Accept some accountability for your horrible play! The fact you don't want to accept any responsibility is leaving me baffled."
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 12, 2022
— @ShannonSharpe pic.twitter.com/ZXEiHgdNg7
They're not wrong. Westbrook was a turnover machine, couldn't shoot and utterly failed to change his game to fit into the Lakers' system. Vogel held him accountable for his mistakes -- and was really the first coach to do so -- and Westbrook bucked at that.
Westbrook had the worst statistical season of his career during the 2021-22 NBA campaign. Rather than recognize that and own it, he's looking to blame others. It was always going to end this way. The fact that the Lakers didn't see this coming is, frankly, laughable.