Westbrook retirement: Beverley calls out Lakers and the media
For Patrick Beverley, Russell Westbrook still had plenty left to give in the NBA. The constant criticism and his time with the Lakers, however, may have damaged his reputation
The Russell Westbrook retirement continues to generate discussion. At 37, the former MVP decided to end his NBA career despite still having some opportunities to keep playing. A decision that Patrick Beverley, his former teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers, considers far too early.
According to Pat Bev, however, there is more behind Westbrook’s decision to walk away than a simple personal choice: the reputation built around Russ in recent years gradually reduced his place in the NBA.
I think he still had a lot of basketball left in him. He played really well last season. I think the media destroyed the perception of his game
Patrick Beverley
Beverley: “Everything changed with the Lakers”
For Beverley, there is one moment above all that marked the before and after in Westbrook’s career: his time with the Los Angeles Lakers.
I think everything changed when he came to the Lakers and then left. From that point on, he had a black cloud over his head. Teams started wondering whether he was a team player or a good locker-room guy
Patrick Beverley
The stint in Los Angeles did indeed represent one of the most difficult periods of Russell Westbrook’s career. Expectations were enormous and the team’s performance did not help: Russ was often at the center of criticism, becoming one of the main targets for explaining the Lakers’ problems.
Beverley, who shared a locker room with him in Los Angeles after years of rivalry, describes a Westbrook who was very different from the image that had developed externally.
He was one of my favorite teammates. Think about the sacrifice an MVP made. He and I had problems for years, then with the Lakers they started me and had Russ coming off the bench. And yet he always remained professional
Patrick Beverley
According to Pat Bev, Westbrook never caused problems in the locker room, even when his role was drastically reduced.
He was at every team dinner, always on time, doing everything with the group. He did everything the right way
Patrick Beverley
“If Lonnie Walker can be in the NBA, Westbrook can too”
What Beverley finds hardest to accept is the idea that there was no longer a place for Westbrook in the league. To explain his point, he brought up Lonnie Walker, while making clear that he did not mean any disrespect toward the former Lakers player:
Lonnie Walker is a good friend of mine and I don’t want to disrespect him, but if he can find a spot on an NBA team, then Russell Westbrook can absolutely be in the NBA. Without a doubt
Patrick Beverley
A provocative statement that perfectly sums up Beverley’s thinking: Westbrook retired when he still had enough talent to contribute in the NBA.
The problem, in his view, had by then become primarily about perception.
The media has tremendous power. They allowed fans to label him and constantly judge his game. And that led owners, general managers and presidents to look at him a certain way
Patrick Beverley
Westbrook had still drawn interest from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, but with a reduced role behind younger players. In the end, he chose to walk away and leave the NBA on his own terms.
Beverley says goodbye to Westbrook: “You’re a legend”
For Beverley, the ending remains bittersweet, especially considering what Westbrook has represented to the NBA (as Kevin Durant also highlighted).
You’re a legend. You’re leaving too soon. Congratulations to the triple-double king. You have to recognize what you did and give you your flowers. You deserve everything, brother
Patrick Beverley
The central point of his message remains the same: Russell Westbrook could have kept playing in the NBA, but years of criticism and, above all, what happened with the Lakers ultimately changed the way the league viewed him.
And for Beverley, that “black cloud” never truly went away.