Russell Westbrook has been widely celebrated since announcing his stunning retirement Wednesday after 18 seasons amid limited interest in free agency.
While tributes and comments poured in from many big names, including his former Oklahoma City Thunder co-star Kevin Durant, a salute from one of his ex-teams sparked frustration.
Upon posting a brief message applauding the former MVP’s illustrious career, the Los Angeles Lakers faced immediate backlash, with many accusing the franchise of setting off Westbrook’s swift downfall.
NBA Fans Push Back on Lakers’ Russell Westbrook Retirement Tribute
At his peak in OKC, Westbrook was widely considered one of the league’s most electric players, throwing down highlight-reel dunks and stuffing stat sheets on a nightly basis. However, after similarly productive stints with the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards, “Mr. Triple-Double’s” reputation took a hit upon his trade to LA in the 2021 offseason.
Seeking to retool around superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and make another title run, the Lakers took a gamble on Westbrook, ignoring questions about his fit alongside James.
As many anticipated, Westbrook’s below-average 3-point shooting and at times rash decision-making in the backcourt clashed with James’ ball-dominant playstyle in the frontcourt. Plagued by spacing issues, LA stumbled to a disastrous 33-49 finish (11th in the Western Conference), with Westbrook getting demoted to a bench role the following season before getting shipped away at the 2023 trade deadline.
Westbrook ultimately shot just 29.8% from deep on 3.4 attempts per game during the 2021-22 campaign, averaging over half as many turnovers (3.8) as assists (7.1). That said, many blame the Lakers for their poor roster construction that didn’t maximize his strengths as a ball handler, playmaker, and explosive downhill scorer.
Thus, upon congratulating Westbrook on a “legendary career” on Thursday, LA caused quite the stir on X.
“Nah, we did him dirty, he deserved better,” one fan wrote.
“Delete this,” another implored.
“I’m sorry LeBron ruined your career,” one fan reacted.
“Y’all got no shame lmao. Y’all ruined his career from what I’m told,” another asserted.
“Probably the worst period of his basketball career,” one LA supporter noted.
Following his one-and-a-half-season tenure with the Lakers, Westbrook ended up bouncing around the NBA, playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings before generating muted free-agency buzz this summer and abruptly walking away from the game.
Despite ending his career with one of the league’s worst teams and retiring without a championship, Westbrook boasts what many consider an ironclad Hall of Fame case, having cemented himself as one of the most iconic guards of his generation.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.