In an audio clip that was leaked, LeBron James can be heard expressing frustration with his Lakers teammates for their poor defense on Russell Westbrook in the first half of a recent game against the Clippers.
“No, we’re better than that. But you need to go after him, you are leaving him, you need to guard him.” James said.
James’ anger was understandable, as Westbrook had 13 points and five assists in just the first 24 minutes of the game. He added eight more points in the third quarter.
James was able to block one of Westbrook’s layup attempts, but the Clippers guard ultimately finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
The Lakers won the game in overtime, but James’ outburst was a sign of the frustration that has been building within the team all season.
James and Westbrook were friends before Westbrook joined the Lakers, but their relationship appears to have deteriorated since then.
According to ESPN journalist Dave McMenamin, a source within the Lakers organisation called Westbrook a “vampire” and said that he was a big problem in the locker room.
It is clear that James is not happy with the way that his teammates defended Westbrook in the recent game against the Clippers. This is just one more example of the frustration that has been building within the Lakers all season.
Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz in February 2023, and the Lakers received D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt in return.
James and Westbrook had an awkward encounter before the Lakers-Clippers game. James greeted and shook the hands of almost all the Clippers players on the court, but he ignored Westbrook.
A Clippers-Lakers playoff series this spring would be a fiercely contested battle between two evenly matched teams. It would likely be a long series, as neither team has a clear advantage.
