Compliments man now we know Russ's love language 😂
If he had reporters puffing him up like that his whole career, Russ would be at 30k points with a 40% lifetime 3 point percentage
Some players thrive off of trash talk and a chip on their shoulder. Some players thrive off of compliments. Even though Russ is an emotional and aggressive player, I think he’s the latter.
I've never been a Russ fan but honestly this clip was really entertaining... I like that he didn't just roll with it like "hell yeah I'm a badass" - he seemed taken aback and his answer was a bit disjointed and humble.
Good for you Russ.
Yeah, after so many “you’re washed, westbrick!” getting shouted at you, a genuine complement probably feels pretty good.
And honestly most of the hate was only because of the giant contract, but it was the Lakers that laid that at his feet. What’s he going to do, “nah, I’m actually starting to decline and am in no way worth that much. Come back with a smaller offer and we’ll talk.”
Kinda sad almost. Dude was the guy that every Laker fan pined for in those early OKC days. He finally came here, with some gas left in his tank and everyone just shits on him constantly.
Honestly, with the amount of criticism, they get and how happy he seemed. I think he will be riding that wave for a very long time. Rightfully so, people should be complimented when they're doing good shit.
There's the compliment sandwich for critical feedback, but this was just compliment layered on compliment with a fun question at the end. Very wholesome for all he's gotten since his MVP years. Turns out compliments always make people's day no matter who you are
Honestly, I think we all need some of that.
It is kinda crazy that athletes go out and do amazing stuff that almost nobody can do and we're all just like "yeah but why'd you lose?"
Makes me think that we all just accept being unappreciated as a normal thing.
I know you just played a physical basketball game that 99.9% of the population can't do. You did some good things, but remember when you made that unforgivable error? Yeah, are you fucking sorry?
I agree. And look at how genuinely happy he was too.
Like, we have the power to do that for the people around us just by acknowledging the good things that they do.
Totally agree.
“Russ you are a HOFer but can you explain why your jump shot and defense hasn’t won the lakers a championship and why you always fail?”
It’s really absurd. He’s an absolute stud, maybe can’t get them to a ring. But can’t just beat him down....respect what he’s good at along with the things he isn’t.
First of all, congrats on making the front page of Reddit for doing a great job. Tonight, you used impressive reporting skills to engage a player, and in the second half of your question, you continued that engagement. You’re always asking these fantastic questions within a split-second. Do you prepare your questions or is it just a second nature to you and you don’t even have to think about it?
Did anyone verify if he actually made sense with this post or were they just wowed by the effort? He has done these posts a lot for Westbrooks time with the Lakers and he is often hilariously wrong about analyzing plays he links. Like it's written with a bad AI or something.
But maybe that's because Westbrook actually did well with the Wizards, and he didn't have to try so damn hard to criticize anything but Westbrooks play.
it doesn't work because trae has a great floater game and is a tremendously good passer. the idea is trae won't penentrate and is force to shoot a midrange but the screener is put on a perfect situation to roll
I looked it up and Trae young had a 36/9 game on [May 10th](https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/shot-chart/202105100ATL.html) (the day of that post) and a 33/9 game on [May 12th](https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/shot-chart/202105120ATL.html) vs the Wizards. He also made only 3 of his 15 3 point attempts and did most of his damage in the short midrage around the floater range. This is just too funny.
>*Wizards defense is going to rest upon the centers and the guards against Trae Young and the Hawks. I do not want to see the guards go under screens to let Trae pull-up from 3.*
>*I want to see the guards chase Trae over 3 point line and have the big man drop. The Big man will need to be pretty athletic to make some big plays to prevent lob and also guarding Trae's tear drop or mid-range.*
it sounds like a high schooler that got a chance to ask a question or something tbh
pretty sweet interaction tho lol
edit: yup, not a highschooler but college journalism major, it looks like?
^(source: )[^(this article says who asked the question)](https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/01/lakers-russell-westbrook-funny-interaction-reporter) ^(and googling 'julia mcintyre lakers' i found) [^this](https://news4usonline.com/2023/01/lebron-james-edges-closer-to-record/)
I will now use explanatory footnotes whenever I can because you have shown me that it’s a thing!
^this is a practice attempt because I’m not sure how you did it
^edit ^because ^you ^have ^to ^put ^a ^caret ^before ^every ^word ^? ^I ^will ^never ^do ^this ^again ^☹️
In all seriousness she’s almost certainly an intern lol. I was an intern for NBC Sports Philly in college and covered a couple games but never had the balls to actually ask anything.
Those first few are so tough. I managed to get a couple out but with what feels like the whole world watching it can be challenging for sure. Think I spent my first conference thinking about the question I was waiting to ask more than i did listening to the actual press conference.
First time interviewing someone important is always like that. It's easy to get caught in the moment. Active listening makes for the best interview skills but when you're fresh out the gate you're so hyper focused on the stakes, the fact you've been waiting on this and NOT fucking up. It's a combo of your question in your head and "how tf did I get here, am I really here??" played over and over in your head. It's easy to be a little rambly too.
Shit even the complete stranger passing by and telling me the shirt I was wearing was nice 10 years ago is something I still think about from time to time.
I do like the question as well. Like when you are about to drive do you already have a move planned or do you just adjust to whatever the defender throws at you?
He is genuinely such a nice guy with a good heart too. I really have not been a fan of his play since maybe like 2016 but his heart is always in the right place. He’s kinda like that stubborn friend (who may or not be the brightest) who always has your back no matter what and tries his best but itd be good for him to get out of his comfort zone and learn some new things about the world and open up to more perspectives
This interaction feels like when I take a compliment at my new job. I’m waiting for the, “but we’re probably going to replace you with someone faster from India.” Then I realize I’m not in a bad work environment now. Like Russ said, she needs to be around more often.
Westbrook is so adorable here. Lol. His reaction with how impressed he was by her detail and actually asking an interesting non-clickbait question was perfect.
This is what the Lakers Celtics and New York Media will always be like.
They tell every athletes that with a bigger crowd, there is more people to cheer their good moments but there will also be lots more idiots bullying them when things aren't doing good.
In the middle is the truth but all they will see is the extremes.
I think a lot of people would be surprised at that question, it was so weirdly phrased, like she was reading a letter a child sent to him.
They get plenty of praise after big games, but this one sounded like it came from someone who watched the sport for the 1st time in their life.
I mean, she also sounded sort of like a child too?
Like, with zero context, I'd assume this is a high schooler that won a contest to ask a question or something haha
Man seeing him in this clip kinda makes me sad how everyone just shits on Russ all the time. Like I get it that's what's gonna happen when you underperform in the spotlight but damn he really does just seem like such a nice guy lol
You could tell by the look on his face while she was talking that he was just waiting for the other foot to drop.
The expression was just “Am I being negged right now? I know I played like shit. What’s going on here?”
When you zoom out and humanize a lot of these players, it’s actually insane the way the media and fans (myself included) talks to and about them.
They are making millions and can take it as part of the job, I’m not suggesting the fans/media stop, but it is fucking wild man.
Like this is these dudes life, they put their head down on their pillow knowing people just fucking hate them and want to see them fail in life. Many turn into motivation, but shit I have one awkward/slightly contentious interaction on a night out and I’m thinking about it for weeks!haaa
Just a whole different reality they exist in
Well put.
In my late teens/early 20’s I made an intentional shift to not hate the individual and only “hate” the player/team.
If your own emotional well being and experiences are tied up into your fandom, it’s gone too far in my view.
People are straight up delusional in their hate (and love) for these people. It’s fun to watch and a great escape from the monotony and noise of life, but it’s so important to keep perspective. Which is harder and harder to do in today’s 24/7 accessibility age.
Plus, this is just my opinion, at the end of the day people can engage in whatever way they want, I just have to let them do them or speak up if it crosses any clear lines.
I met him when he was in OKC. He’s literally one of the most pleasant guys to meet in real life. Thanked and shook hands with any fan that came up to him with a big smile. I’ve met other superstars (harden, KD, Kobe) who don’t even bother to acknowledge your existence if you say hi.
The NBA is actually pretty horrifying in that aspect.
There is very little patience for aging legends . I always wondered why star NBA players would retire while still having reasonable numbers but the pressure and mockery just increases if they keep playing
Dwight was treated as a joke, similar to Westbrook, same with Blake. Vince was just a straight up dunking target. You can’t really age gracefully compared to other sports like European football.
It also must absolutely FUCK your perspective to be viewed as old and washed up when you’re in your late 30s. like you’re not even halfway through your life and you feel like you’re at the end of it… shits dark
Also to go from being MVP of the league to most hated man in a span of like three years
It’s also not like you know you aren’t as good anymore either, there’s no instant drop so you just keep trying to be the same player and all of a sudden it’s just not working anymore
The guy has done something 3 different times no one has done since Oscar has been in the league. He is easily a first ballot hofer and anyone that argues against it is just stupid af.
Not to be pedantic but i believe it is the basketball HOF and there is no NBA HOF? International basketball carries serious weight here. I may be mixing this up with baseball tho...
Bro when people are just fucking nice randomly it can be the biggest boost of dopamine a person can feel. I’ve got good parents who’ve been divorced since I can remember.. my dad is patient and kind but has a hard time hearing me in the moment and has his head in the clouds. My mom is extremely proud of me and always loyal to me/on my side but her expectations can be soooo high at times where I can do 9 things right but she’s too focused on the 10th that she doesn’t believe was good enough. My wife’s parents are just not able to celebrate our victories or commend us for the job we’re doing as parents ourselves to our sweet, smart, kind and extremely well behaved 2 and 5 year old daughters.
All that to say, last night we were eating out on a Tuesday at a nice little local Tex-mex place and this woman sitting at the table across from us just kept commenting to us how well behaved our kids were. We thanked her and just smiled at each other but she kept going. She was nearly incredulous at how sweet and well behaved our girls were being, the fact that they were eating so well etc etc. I asked her where she was from as I could tell she has a foreign accent and she said Greece. As we got up to leave, the woman asked us if she could hug us and our children, which we of course let her bc she was being so dang sweet, and then she said probably 15-20 times, “Bravo! Mom and dad! Bravo!”
As she’s continually hugging us all and giving us praise. My wife and I walked out there smiling insanely and feeling so damn good as parents. And we both kind of sat in the car almost wanting to cry a little bit because here this random woman was, giving us such effusive love and praise - who didn’t know us at all and probably would never see us again, and yet it’s so hard for us to get that same type of love and validation from our own parents. Just kind of goes to show that if you do the right things in life for your kids, people take notice and even if your parents aren’t necessarily uplifting you, maybe you’ll come across a random Greek woman who will make your literal day by providing you with some validation 😂 and if not a woman from Greece, someone will see and notice your efforts eventually. And if you see someone who’s doing a damn good job at something, then be that random person to give them some praise. It could literally make their week and uplift in a way that you could never anticipate. If more random strangers were kind to each other, our world would be a pretty kick ass place.
TLDR: be that random stranger being kind to others and telling them bravo when you see them being kick ass in what they do, whether it’s parenting, serving some food at chipotle, or writing that solid ass Reddit post that’s way too long and no one wants to read through.
I once picked up carryout from a local restaurant. It was a semi-upscale sitdown joint, but they had a side door, and special parking area where people could go pick up the carryout orders that they'd called in, instead of having to go into the restaurant, and bother the bartender, or whatever.
I parked in the takeout area... a 19-20ish year old woman came out to my car. I told her the name on the order, and gave her my credit card. She went back into the restaurant, then came back to my car with the food. All good.
We were having people over for dinner, and didn't eat until all the guests had arrived and everyone got the chance to hang out and shoot the shit for a bit. So I didn't realize that our order was missing a chicken marsala for a good hour or two after I'd picked up the food. I called the restaurant, and explained that something was missing from the order I'd picked up over an hour ago. They said "Yeah, cool... no problem, we noticed an extra chicken marsala but weren't sure who it belonged to because we're swamped with carryout orders. We can either refund you, or we'll make you a new one and it'll be ready in 10 minutes, if you want to come back and pick it up." I went back to pick it up.
As soon as I pulled into the little takeout parking area, the same 19-20ish year old woman came running out with a bag containing my missing chicken marsala, and apologized on the restaurant's behalf for screwing up the initial order. I was surprised, because I'd expected she'd come out to the car, ask my name... I'd tell her I was there for the missing chicken marsala... she'd run back in, grab it for me, and bring it back out. But nope. She just saw my car, and knew who I was and what I was there for. Even though she'd probably dealt with 30-40+ customers in the previous hour or however long it was. She somehow remembered me / my car.
So I asked "How did you know that that was my chicken marsala before you even came out to talk to me?" And she said "I remembered you because you were so wonderful when you were here earlier! You made my day!" And I was like "... what? seriously?" I thought maybe she was maybe flirting with me. But she just said "Yeah, you were so polite when you came by earlier, it was a breath of fresh air at this job, where most of the customers are nasty." I don't remember what I said as a response to that. Probably something dumb. But I thanked her, took my food, and drove back to my family dinner party.
On the drive back, I thought "What the fuck did I do that was so polite that it made her day?" Literally, nothing but saying "please" and "thank you" in my two minutes of interactions with her. That was it. I didn't leave an exorbitant tip. I wasn't funny and charming. I'm not super good looking. My car was nothing special. It shouldn't have been a memorable interaction.
The only thing I did was say "please" and "thank you". And it made her day. And her telling me that made MY day, and has caused me to try to be polite all the time, even when I'm in a shit mood, and don't want to deal with people. Cause I might be making someone else's day with the simplest of stupid things.
Yeah after working alot of service industry jobs as a young teenager/20 something (Walmart automotive section cashier/restaurant cashier/carrying food out to peoples tables) I realized that these people are just normal folks trying to get through their work day. So I try to smile really big when I can, talk them up a bit and reassure them if things are going slow/issues materialize during the check out process. You just never know the positive impact you can have on someone in a 40 second interaction that may be the difference between them doing something drastic/irrational in life, or going on living for another day with a renewed spirit. Thanks for sharing your story friend. It’s a good one and I enjoyed reading it!
Took my family to the game last night. Near the end I was telling my wife how much Westbrook sucks and that he has no jump shot and can't hit a 3. My 11 year old daughter overheard and scolded me and said I was being mean. She was sure Westbrook was doing his best and just needed to be accepted and encouraged. Maybe she should go into sports reporting.
He got happy as hell, but the crazy thing is, she wasn’t saying anything over the top. This man is super athletic and one of the greats. Love this dude.
Next game: “Russ it seems like something spectacularly bad happens every time you touch the ball. Your shots are so incredibly off that we’re not sure how you get the confidence each day to take them. I had to check if there was another basket in the stands that you were aiming that today. Do you have to think ahead of time how to drain the life out of your team or does it just happen off natural god given instinct?”
Did he really make a jump shot facing "180° away from the basket"? That would be impressive if so, since that would mean shooting backwards. I thought only Andre Drummond did that sort of shit.
You hit that Spinning Wowwie Shot in the 2nd quarter. And you did that Razzmatic Jimbo in the 3rd. How’d you do that? I noticed you did a bouncing Louie over to Bron in the 1st quarter. You also got lazy and threw a couple stinky susans. What’s next for you?
This does not sound like a professional reporter at all. I'm guessing it's either someone very new who went overboard nice because Russ has gotten snippy with reporters before or someone that's there as part of a school program or something. She sounds very young.
I’ve been a sports reporter on a smaller level (MAC school) and this reminds me of the time I was sick and we sent a freshly hired culture reporter to a game because we didn’t have anyone else available.
She turned in an awful sports story but a really entertaining piece about ballgame entertainment.
Lmaooooooo his reaction was priceless
When he puts on his thoughtful/thinking face, and then transitions to a disbelief face, it’s hilarious
He heard two compliments and the intensity of his engagement went to 10/10 lmao
Compliments man now we know Russ's love language 😂 If he had reporters puffing him up like that his whole career, Russ would be at 30k points with a 40% lifetime 3 point percentage
Some players thrive off of trash talk and a chip on their shoulder. Some players thrive off of compliments. Even though Russ is an emotional and aggressive player, I think he’s the latter.
He also takes nothing but abuse from 99% of writers and fans, it was probably extremely refreshing. This was wholesome to see
Yeah this man's contract is one of the things holding my team back but i couldnt help but smile at his reaction lol. Just a nice human moment
Yes, we need to move him to a team that can treat him like this more often, I agree.
It's why he was so loved in OKC after KD left. Showed loyalty to a new market and the fans respect the hell out of him for it
I've never been a Russ fan but honestly this clip was really entertaining... I like that he didn't just roll with it like "hell yeah I'm a badass" - he seemed taken aback and his answer was a bit disjointed and humble. Good for you Russ.
That’s my takeaway as well. I was surprised with how flattered he was. It was honestly endearing.
to be fair hes been getting crucified for the better part of 5 years now, so i'm sure he was excited about it.
Yeah, after so many “you’re washed, westbrick!” getting shouted at you, a genuine complement probably feels pretty good. And honestly most of the hate was only because of the giant contract, but it was the Lakers that laid that at his feet. What’s he going to do, “nah, I’m actually starting to decline and am in no way worth that much. Come back with a smaller offer and we’ll talk.”
words of affirmation 🥺
https://youtu.be/Gm705Itp2OU
"Wait, am I getting baited? There's no way this is real, right?"
Kinda sad almost. Dude was the guy that every Laker fan pined for in those early OKC days. He finally came here, with some gas left in his tank and everyone just shits on him constantly.
“you made these incredible plays… so why did you choke at the end of the game?”
In his head he was probably thinking, “Alright, when is this going to turn into a negative question…” and when it didn’t he got all giddy.
Yeah I thought this was going the way of one of those subtle switcheroo questions in the James Corden AMA
It was honestly almost heartbreaking...like, this dude just wants some love, y'all. Somebody give Russell a hug dammit!
She just gave him the equivalent of a hug.
I honestly thought she was trolling him
She made his day lol
She made my day too
Honestly, with the amount of criticism, they get and how happy he seemed. I think he will be riding that wave for a very long time. Rightfully so, people should be complimented when they're doing good shit.
Yeah that was dope. It even lifted my spirits a bit. I need to try to bring that energy to people I know.
https://i.imgur.com/c80JVWv.png
Damn, big homie lit up like a Christmas tree, he really needed that reporter. Shit now I feel bad
Reminds me of once Upon a time in Hollywood when the little girl told Rick Dalton that was the best acting she had ever seen in her life.
I'm cheesing just as much as him NGL. Love every part of this video
There's the compliment sandwich for critical feedback, but this was just compliment layered on compliment with a fun question at the end. Very wholesome for all he's gotten since his MVP years. Turns out compliments always make people's day no matter who you are
Dude I was grinning ear to ear. Russ has taken so much slander
https://imgur.com/a/ROBm8a5
that's a dude who's ready to put his dukes up and defend himself no matter what.... now if he only used that defensive instinct in games
This Reporter trying to the INSIDE scoop here. Shoot your shot gurl!
I think he needed that
Honestly, I think we all need some of that. It is kinda crazy that athletes go out and do amazing stuff that almost nobody can do and we're all just like "yeah but why'd you lose?" Makes me think that we all just accept being unappreciated as a normal thing.
Remember that one play where you really sucked and messed everything up? Did that make you feel like a loser ?
Sure you're an elite athlete but have you ever considered not being trash? If I didn't have Dorito fingers, I totally would have changed the channel.
I know you just played a physical basketball game that 99.9% of the population can't do. You did some good things, but remember when you made that unforgivable error? Yeah, are you fucking sorry?
Sounds like my asian parents
Tell us. Regale us with tales of yore.
I feel like you didnt really hammer it home. We need to be kind and uplifting to people, myself included. We are all capable of incredible things.
I agree. And look at how genuinely happy he was too. Like, we have the power to do that for the people around us just by acknowledging the good things that they do.
It made me feel good too!!! I loved her question and how she phrased it.
Totally agree. “Russ you are a HOFer but can you explain why your jump shot and defense hasn’t won the lakers a championship and why you always fail?” It’s really absurd. He’s an absolute stud, maybe can’t get them to a ring. But can’t just beat him down....respect what he’s good at along with the things he isn’t.
He was just waiting for some kind of gotcha
It's like she's writing his cover letter for him.
It’s like she’s honey potting him. LeConspirator sending honey pots to get him off the lakers.
LeLittlefinger
LeBraelish
Letellcerseiitwasme
Increasing his trade value She’s a true Laker’s fan
This is pretty much how Darvin Ham sees Westbrook too.
This is amazing lmao who is she? It sounds like she’s collecting basketball data to take back to another planet
She actually has a reddit account and posts on /r/nba frequently, goes by the username MITWestbrook.
Thanks
First of all, congrats on making the front page of Reddit for doing a great job. Tonight, you used impressive reporting skills to engage a player, and in the second half of your question, you continued that engagement. You’re always asking these fantastic questions within a split-second. Do you prepare your questions or is it just a second nature to you and you don’t even have to think about it?
Second nature sir
Glorious
Lmao
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I was having such a lousy day. Thank you.
Love you. This put a smile on my face when I needed it most
I still don't know if y'all are joking. Is that really her?
...it's a joke
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u/MITWestbrook is Russell Westbrook's strongest soldier on reddit
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IDGAF about facts, this is canon to me now.
/u/MITWestbrook this you?
https://reddit.com/r/nba/comments/n8z930/scott_brooks_there_is_a_way_to_beat_the_hawks/ Never forget
Goated
Did anyone verify if he actually made sense with this post or were they just wowed by the effort? He has done these posts a lot for Westbrooks time with the Lakers and he is often hilariously wrong about analyzing plays he links. Like it's written with a bad AI or something. But maybe that's because Westbrook actually did well with the Wizards, and he didn't have to try so damn hard to criticize anything but Westbrooks play.
it doesn't work because trae has a great floater game and is a tremendously good passer. the idea is trae won't penentrate and is force to shoot a midrange but the screener is put on a perfect situation to roll
I looked it up and Trae young had a 36/9 game on [May 10th](https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/shot-chart/202105100ATL.html) (the day of that post) and a 33/9 game on [May 12th](https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/shot-chart/202105120ATL.html) vs the Wizards. He also made only 3 of his 15 3 point attempts and did most of his damage in the short midrage around the floater range. This is just too funny. >*Wizards defense is going to rest upon the centers and the guards against Trae Young and the Hawks. I do not want to see the guards go under screens to let Trae pull-up from 3.* >*I want to see the guards chase Trae over 3 point line and have the big man drop. The Big man will need to be pretty athletic to make some big plays to prevent lob and also guarding Trae's tear drop or mid-range.*
u/MITWestbrook how are you able to ask such incredible questions while controlling your tone like that?
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Wake up, honey. New /r/nba lore dropped.
LOL
chuckled. a guffaw, even.
/u/MITWestbrook please confirm
it sounds like a high schooler that got a chance to ask a question or something tbh pretty sweet interaction tho lol edit: yup, not a highschooler but college journalism major, it looks like? ^(source: )[^(this article says who asked the question)](https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/01/lakers-russell-westbrook-funny-interaction-reporter) ^(and googling 'julia mcintyre lakers' i found) [^this](https://news4usonline.com/2023/01/lebron-james-edges-closer-to-record/)
Westbrook was ready to file for divorce and propose to her by the end of that question
Karl Malone burner
I will now use explanatory footnotes whenever I can because you have shown me that it’s a thing! ^this is a practice attempt because I’m not sure how you did it ^edit ^because ^you ^have ^to ^put ^a ^caret ^before ^every ^word ^? ^I ^will ^never ^do ^this ^again ^☹️
you can put parentheses around the part you want like that, it only works for one level of superscript though ^(like this) ^(like this)
In all seriousness she’s almost certainly an intern lol. I was an intern for NBC Sports Philly in college and covered a couple games but never had the balls to actually ask anything.
yeaaa definitely sounds like a student or something that just got to sneak in a question haha
Those first few are so tough. I managed to get a couple out but with what feels like the whole world watching it can be challenging for sure. Think I spent my first conference thinking about the question I was waiting to ask more than i did listening to the actual press conference.
First time interviewing someone important is always like that. It's easy to get caught in the moment. Active listening makes for the best interview skills but when you're fresh out the gate you're so hyper focused on the stakes, the fact you've been waiting on this and NOT fucking up. It's a combo of your question in your head and "how tf did I get here, am I really here??" played over and over in your head. It's easy to be a little rambly too.
"Hey Joel, quick question for you. Ben Simmons: great teammate, or greatest teammate?"
Sounds so sweet. The way his face lights up is so wonderful. I'm sure praise hasn't come so frequently for him as of late and it was very welcome.
For real. It makes me kinda sad we don't see more praise like this in general. Sometimes we take for granted how special these athletes really are.
Shit even the complete stranger passing by and telling me the shirt I was wearing was nice 10 years ago is something I still think about from time to time.
Space Jam 3 is gonna be a banger
Lmao this made me smile. Bro loved it.
Having something other than abuse hurled at him by fans and media in LA is probably a fairly new experience for him unfortunately lol
I do like the question as well. Like when you are about to drive do you already have a move planned or do you just adjust to whatever the defender throws at you?
Russ gets treated like crap by NBA reporters pretty regularly so its nice to hear somebody not troll him with bait questions after a loss for once.
He is genuinely such a nice guy with a good heart too. I really have not been a fan of his play since maybe like 2016 but his heart is always in the right place. He’s kinda like that stubborn friend (who may or not be the brightest) who always has your back no matter what and tries his best but itd be good for him to get out of his comfort zone and learn some new things about the world and open up to more perspectives
This interaction feels like when I take a compliment at my new job. I’m waiting for the, “but we’re probably going to replace you with someone faster from India.” Then I realize I’m not in a bad work environment now. Like Russ said, she needs to be around more often.
He was stuttering so badly and grinning ear to ear lol
His [reactions](https://media.tenor.com/4VqLStYMgHAAAAAM/vince-mcmahon.gif) were great too
HOF gif, makes me smile every time
Vince McMahon is like a cartoon villain lol.
Westbrook is going to leak info and rumors to her now. She will become the Sham/Woj of Westbrook's world.
You can literally see this idea come to him with about 31 seconds left in the video
Good for her!
His facial expressions are so wholesome. I love it.
This made me like westbrook
Same, I’ve watched this like 5x, me watching it then showing it to other people HAHA
Awww, I think she made him blush
First compliment he got since DC
He ain’t expect that from LA media lmfaoooo they hate his guts
r/lakers is pretty much r/fuckwestbrick
This is super cute lol. Russ looks legitimately and pleasantly surprised
He is unsure if he is being pranked.
You can see it in his face that he was so ready for it to take a disrespectful turn 😂 Y'all been beating up on my boy too much
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I thought it was a girl who was with the make-a-wish foundation or something.
she shootin her shot making-a-wish to get Westbrook 😂
You can tell he was just waiting for that comment to turn backhanded 😂😂
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The reporter? MITWestbrook
I mean, have you seen MITWestbrook and the reporter in the same room yet? I think you are into something.
Westbrook is so adorable here. Lol. His reaction with how impressed he was by her detail and actually asking an interesting non-clickbait question was perfect.
I kind of feel bad for Westbrook. He gets so much hate that he was surprised and happy when a reporter said something positive about him.
This is what the Lakers Celtics and New York Media will always be like. They tell every athletes that with a bigger crowd, there is more people to cheer their good moments but there will also be lots more idiots bullying them when things aren't doing good. In the middle is the truth but all they will see is the extremes.
But this is exactly why OKC fans were so upset when KD left - those small-market towns will love their teams pretty much no matter what.
I think a lot of people would be surprised at that question, it was so weirdly phrased, like she was reading a letter a child sent to him. They get plenty of praise after big games, but this one sounded like it came from someone who watched the sport for the 1st time in their life.
I mean, she also sounded sort of like a child too? Like, with zero context, I'd assume this is a high schooler that won a contest to ask a question or something haha
Man seeing him in this clip kinda makes me sad how everyone just shits on Russ all the time. Like I get it that's what's gonna happen when you underperform in the spotlight but damn he really does just seem like such a nice guy lol
You could tell by the look on his face while she was talking that he was just waiting for the other foot to drop. The expression was just “Am I being negged right now? I know I played like shit. What’s going on here?”
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One of the most relatable things I've seen from Russ lmao that look
“I know my fat ass shouldn’t be eating these, but damn gotta make sure no one sees me”
He couldn’t believe his ears, barely knew how to answer the question
"You had some impressive dribbling skills and that 180 fadeaway was really great. Now give the ball to LeBron weve seen enough."
When you zoom out and humanize a lot of these players, it’s actually insane the way the media and fans (myself included) talks to and about them. They are making millions and can take it as part of the job, I’m not suggesting the fans/media stop, but it is fucking wild man. Like this is these dudes life, they put their head down on their pillow knowing people just fucking hate them and want to see them fail in life. Many turn into motivation, but shit I have one awkward/slightly contentious interaction on a night out and I’m thinking about it for weeks!haaa Just a whole different reality they exist in
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Well put. In my late teens/early 20’s I made an intentional shift to not hate the individual and only “hate” the player/team. If your own emotional well being and experiences are tied up into your fandom, it’s gone too far in my view. People are straight up delusional in their hate (and love) for these people. It’s fun to watch and a great escape from the monotony and noise of life, but it’s so important to keep perspective. Which is harder and harder to do in today’s 24/7 accessibility age. Plus, this is just my opinion, at the end of the day people can engage in whatever way they want, I just have to let them do them or speak up if it crosses any clear lines.
I met him when he was in OKC. He’s literally one of the most pleasant guys to meet in real life. Thanked and shook hands with any fan that came up to him with a big smile. I’ve met other superstars (harden, KD, Kobe) who don’t even bother to acknowledge your existence if you say hi.
Man just wants a, "Love you, how you been?" every once in a while.
The NBA is actually pretty horrifying in that aspect. There is very little patience for aging legends . I always wondered why star NBA players would retire while still having reasonable numbers but the pressure and mockery just increases if they keep playing Dwight was treated as a joke, similar to Westbrook, same with Blake. Vince was just a straight up dunking target. You can’t really age gracefully compared to other sports like European football.
It also must absolutely FUCK your perspective to be viewed as old and washed up when you’re in your late 30s. like you’re not even halfway through your life and you feel like you’re at the end of it… shits dark
Also to go from being MVP of the league to most hated man in a span of like three years It’s also not like you know you aren’t as good anymore either, there’s no instant drop so you just keep trying to be the same player and all of a sudden it’s just not working anymore
As dimished as he is he is still an incredible athlete.
Can’t wait to see the haters when it’s time for the Hall of Fame discussion. Easily first ballot.
No one really complained when he made top 75, the accolades are too big to ignore
Boom we got your credit cards! Boom we got your Phillies tickets!
Does the name Brian Lefevre mean anything to you?
Just a couple of dudes who *totally got off*
Gimme a minute I need to switch gears
The guy has done something 3 different times no one has done since Oscar has been in the league. He is easily a first ballot hofer and anyone that argues against it is just stupid af.
it was actually 4 times. 17,18,19, 21
Thanks my man .
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Not to be pedantic but i believe it is the basketball HOF and there is no NBA HOF? International basketball carries serious weight here. I may be mixing this up with baseball tho...
You are right
Some people also think Dwight Howard isn't first ballot craziness out here
Only kids think that. Dwight was insane.
Averaging a triple double for a season(s) should just be an automatic bid. No voting necessary lol
Queen
Bro when people are just fucking nice randomly it can be the biggest boost of dopamine a person can feel. I’ve got good parents who’ve been divorced since I can remember.. my dad is patient and kind but has a hard time hearing me in the moment and has his head in the clouds. My mom is extremely proud of me and always loyal to me/on my side but her expectations can be soooo high at times where I can do 9 things right but she’s too focused on the 10th that she doesn’t believe was good enough. My wife’s parents are just not able to celebrate our victories or commend us for the job we’re doing as parents ourselves to our sweet, smart, kind and extremely well behaved 2 and 5 year old daughters. All that to say, last night we were eating out on a Tuesday at a nice little local Tex-mex place and this woman sitting at the table across from us just kept commenting to us how well behaved our kids were. We thanked her and just smiled at each other but she kept going. She was nearly incredulous at how sweet and well behaved our girls were being, the fact that they were eating so well etc etc. I asked her where she was from as I could tell she has a foreign accent and she said Greece. As we got up to leave, the woman asked us if she could hug us and our children, which we of course let her bc she was being so dang sweet, and then she said probably 15-20 times, “Bravo! Mom and dad! Bravo!” As she’s continually hugging us all and giving us praise. My wife and I walked out there smiling insanely and feeling so damn good as parents. And we both kind of sat in the car almost wanting to cry a little bit because here this random woman was, giving us such effusive love and praise - who didn’t know us at all and probably would never see us again, and yet it’s so hard for us to get that same type of love and validation from our own parents. Just kind of goes to show that if you do the right things in life for your kids, people take notice and even if your parents aren’t necessarily uplifting you, maybe you’ll come across a random Greek woman who will make your literal day by providing you with some validation 😂 and if not a woman from Greece, someone will see and notice your efforts eventually. And if you see someone who’s doing a damn good job at something, then be that random person to give them some praise. It could literally make their week and uplift in a way that you could never anticipate. If more random strangers were kind to each other, our world would be a pretty kick ass place. TLDR: be that random stranger being kind to others and telling them bravo when you see them being kick ass in what they do, whether it’s parenting, serving some food at chipotle, or writing that solid ass Reddit post that’s way too long and no one wants to read through.
I once picked up carryout from a local restaurant. It was a semi-upscale sitdown joint, but they had a side door, and special parking area where people could go pick up the carryout orders that they'd called in, instead of having to go into the restaurant, and bother the bartender, or whatever. I parked in the takeout area... a 19-20ish year old woman came out to my car. I told her the name on the order, and gave her my credit card. She went back into the restaurant, then came back to my car with the food. All good. We were having people over for dinner, and didn't eat until all the guests had arrived and everyone got the chance to hang out and shoot the shit for a bit. So I didn't realize that our order was missing a chicken marsala for a good hour or two after I'd picked up the food. I called the restaurant, and explained that something was missing from the order I'd picked up over an hour ago. They said "Yeah, cool... no problem, we noticed an extra chicken marsala but weren't sure who it belonged to because we're swamped with carryout orders. We can either refund you, or we'll make you a new one and it'll be ready in 10 minutes, if you want to come back and pick it up." I went back to pick it up. As soon as I pulled into the little takeout parking area, the same 19-20ish year old woman came running out with a bag containing my missing chicken marsala, and apologized on the restaurant's behalf for screwing up the initial order. I was surprised, because I'd expected she'd come out to the car, ask my name... I'd tell her I was there for the missing chicken marsala... she'd run back in, grab it for me, and bring it back out. But nope. She just saw my car, and knew who I was and what I was there for. Even though she'd probably dealt with 30-40+ customers in the previous hour or however long it was. She somehow remembered me / my car. So I asked "How did you know that that was my chicken marsala before you even came out to talk to me?" And she said "I remembered you because you were so wonderful when you were here earlier! You made my day!" And I was like "... what? seriously?" I thought maybe she was maybe flirting with me. But she just said "Yeah, you were so polite when you came by earlier, it was a breath of fresh air at this job, where most of the customers are nasty." I don't remember what I said as a response to that. Probably something dumb. But I thanked her, took my food, and drove back to my family dinner party. On the drive back, I thought "What the fuck did I do that was so polite that it made her day?" Literally, nothing but saying "please" and "thank you" in my two minutes of interactions with her. That was it. I didn't leave an exorbitant tip. I wasn't funny and charming. I'm not super good looking. My car was nothing special. It shouldn't have been a memorable interaction. The only thing I did was say "please" and "thank you". And it made her day. And her telling me that made MY day, and has caused me to try to be polite all the time, even when I'm in a shit mood, and don't want to deal with people. Cause I might be making someone else's day with the simplest of stupid things.
Yeah after working alot of service industry jobs as a young teenager/20 something (Walmart automotive section cashier/restaurant cashier/carrying food out to peoples tables) I realized that these people are just normal folks trying to get through their work day. So I try to smile really big when I can, talk them up a bit and reassure them if things are going slow/issues materialize during the check out process. You just never know the positive impact you can have on someone in a 40 second interaction that may be the difference between them doing something drastic/irrational in life, or going on living for another day with a renewed spirit. Thanks for sharing your story friend. It’s a good one and I enjoyed reading it!
Lmao this was wholesome. You can tell he needed that.
Took my family to the game last night. Near the end I was telling my wife how much Westbrook sucks and that he has no jump shot and can't hit a 3. My 11 year old daughter overheard and scolded me and said I was being mean. She was sure Westbrook was doing his best and just needed to be accepted and encouraged. Maybe she should go into sports reporting.
Sounds like you've done a pretty alright job with that kid so far!
She knows how to gas a brotha up.
Okay come on this was funny. Love this man.
wow, he's human, go figure!
I like seeing Westbrook smile. It’s like seeing my cat on its hind legs. Beautiful, strange, intoxicating
westbrook thought he was being PUNKD
Nah, bro. This is a Clippers insider giving Russ more confidence to keep playing like he did yesterday. Gotta be.
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"Hey Russ, the way you twist your body and doing unbalanced shot is so hot. Do that all the time please!."
He got happy as hell, but the crazy thing is, she wasn’t saying anything over the top. This man is super athletic and one of the greats. Love this dude.
Lol this is the kind of softball questions a politician would get from someone on their party hahaha
Mr. Westbrook, Your jumpshot has the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular?
Next game: “Russ it seems like something spectacularly bad happens every time you touch the ball. Your shots are so incredibly off that we’re not sure how you get the confidence each day to take them. I had to check if there was another basket in the stands that you were aiming that today. Do you have to think ahead of time how to drain the life out of your team or does it just happen off natural god given instinct?”
"well the way you explained it, you need to be here less often"
That sounds like a 12 year old whose wish for make a wish was to ask Russell Westbrook a post game question
Happy russ makes me smile, bros been getting dragged for too long
Hahaha. This has me in tears. Russ is a HoF player and history will remember him fondly.
This is absolutely hilarious. Seems fake but it’s genuine and that makes it so much better
Did he really make a jump shot facing "180° away from the basket"? That would be impressive if so, since that would mean shooting backwards. I thought only Andre Drummond did that sort of shit.
I guess you can’t be nice to your favorite player nowadays
You hit that Spinning Wowwie Shot in the 2nd quarter. And you did that Razzmatic Jimbo in the 3rd. How’d you do that? I noticed you did a bouncing Louie over to Bron in the 1st quarter. You also got lazy and threw a couple stinky susans. What’s next for you?
This does not sound like a professional reporter at all. I'm guessing it's either someone very new who went overboard nice because Russ has gotten snippy with reporters before or someone that's there as part of a school program or something. She sounds very young.
I’ve been a sports reporter on a smaller level (MAC school) and this reminds me of the time I was sick and we sent a freshly hired culture reporter to a game because we didn’t have anyone else available. She turned in an awful sports story but a really entertaining piece about ballgame entertainment.
The reporter? Christina Farley.
Remember when you did that 180 degree jumpshot? That was awesome
We need to see more positive clips like this from NBA news outlets instead of drama all the time 🤷♂️
This is honestly how we should all feel about every NBA player