Russell Westbrook trolls LeBron James multiple times in massive Clippers-Lakers showdown

Scott Rafferty

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Russell Westbrook trolls LeBron James multiple times in massive Clippers-Lakers showdown image

Wednesday's matchup between the Lakers and Clippers might have been the biggest Battle of Los Angeles yet, and Russell Westbrook came to play.

While he finished the game with only 14 points, four assists and three rebounds, Westbrook set the tone against his former team with an explosive first quarter. He recorded 10 of his 14 points and three of his four assists in the opening frame, the combination of which helped the Clippers take an early lead.

Westbrook let the Lakers know about it, too.

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After his second 3-pointer of the first quarter, Westbrook pointed at LeBron James, who was defending Westbrook and following the Lakers' game plan of encouraging him to shoot.

Westbrook did it again late in the second quarter when he hit another jumper over James.

If that wasn't enough, Westbrook appeared to point (again) and say "good pass" to James after he passed him the ball when he was on the bench in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

Westbrook's time with the Lakers didn't, of course, come to a great end. He was involved in trade rumors all season long before being dealt to the Jazz, and he was reportedly viewed by some within the Lakers as a "vampire" for sucking "the blood out of the locker room."

Westbrook has since found a home with the Clippers and played well as the team's starting point guard.

Clippers center Ivica Zubac talked about Westbrook's impact following Wednesday's game and how they wanted to prove the rumors about the nine-time All-Star wrong.

"He's a great dude, a great leader, always happy, always positive, always helping everyone on the court, helped me a lot. He leads us on and off the court. He's a great dude. We just wanted to prove everyone wrong, prove all those rumors and that stuff that was said about him wrong. 

"It just makes it better that it came in the biggest game of the season."

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.