Players such as his old buddy Kevin Durant plead for questions about the game being played on the court.
Perhaps Russell Westbrook’s one-man media war helps distract from the basketball he actually plays.
The Thunder superstar’s boycott of The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel continued with a twist Sunday, after Westbrook’s jumper killed Oklahoma City in a 111-98 loss to the Trail Blazers, putting them in a 3-1 first-round hole.
For months, all Westbrook would say in response to Tramel’s questions was, “Next question.”
Perhaps feeling generous after acting kindly to Portland in shooting 5-of-21 for 14 points, Westbrook changed his stock answer when asked about defending Damian Lillard, going with: “Uh, that’s a good question. Not sure.”
The series has shone a national spotlight on the interaction, which Tramel has said stems from the Thunder allowing Westbrook to control the franchise. He cannot control the media, and this is how he reacts, according to Tramel.
“I keep asking, with no hope of getting an answer, because the media shouldn’t give in to Westbrook’s desire to control everything,” Tramel wrote earlier this month.
If that’s the focus after Sunday, Westbrook would be OK with it. The 30-year-old missed his final 10 shots and was 0-for-7 with a single point in the second half.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Westbrook’s stand-off with Tramel is “dangerous” for the NBA.
“I just feel that we have to be very careful as a league,” Kerr told The Athletic. “We’re in a good place right now. Very popular. Fans love the game, the social dynamic, the fashion. But more than anything they love the connection they feel to the players. I think it’s important for the players to understand that it’s a key dynamic to this league. I don’t think this is a healthy dynamic, for this league, for any player, any team, any local media, any national media.”
https://nypost.com/2019/04/22/russell-westbrook-alters-one-man-media-war-after-thunder-disaster/
2019-04-22 14:13:00Z
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