“WHAAAAATT?”
If this wasn’t a recurring thing where Russell Westbrook butted heads with this media, this would be a pretty hilarious thing. Because the “did you lose or did they win” kind of question is really dumb.
Here’s how Darnell Mayberry describes the whole thing:
Westbrook simply walked off. The temperamental team captain got fed up with a reporter’s question and suddenly turned his back and ended the interview before walking away. The exchange was as follows. “Russell, did you guys lose this game, or did the Jazz win this one?” Westbrook: “Whaaaaat? Bro, what are you talking about, man? I’m out man. Y’all n***** trippin’.”
Westbrook’s sound bite was good for a quick laugh and easily makes his top three all-time interview quotes. But what was sad about the exchange is that everyone on the team, players and staffers included, simply supported him. They came to his defense even after he lost his patience, snapped on a reporter, prematurely ended an interview and used offensive language. It’s one of the reasons Westbrook will always be Westbrook. Nobody seems to hold him accountable, on the court or in front of the cameras. A pretty generic question, one that players get asked all the time in every sport, caused him to erupt. But by now, that behavior is just what you expect out of Westbrook.
This is just the latest episode of Westbrook being exceedingly icy with the media. It’s not that he’s just a little rude or something. It’s that he operates with downright contempt and open disrespect to the media.
I understand as fans you don’t care because the media are all losers and jerks anyway, but there’s a difference between dealing with reporters and not treating them like human beings.
Russ is Russ though, and that’s the way it is.
I don't mind how Westbrook acts it is just who he is and it is what makes him one of the top 5 players in the league... I can only imagine the envy most of the fans of other teams feel when they think about us having two of the top five players!
westbrook cracks me up
lol which part of this, was not treating reporters like human beings? looool jesus thats some privileged shit to say
"I understand as fans you don’t care because the media are all losers and jerks anyway, but there’s a difference between dealing with reporters and not treating them like human beings."
Oh lawd this is a massive over reaction of epic proportions. "Not being treated like human beings"? If being rudely dismissed by someone is the worst thing that happens to you in your day then you're doing pretty damn good IMO.
Who needs the bigger reality check here.
Russell who seems to forget he gets paid millions to play a game or Royce, Darnell, and other media members who seem to be forgetting they get paid well to talk about men playing a game.
And I'm using men kinda loosely cause despite the fact they've been forced to grow up so quick under the huge spotlight of sports most of these guys are still kids.
@Fuzzy Logic 100
Bet that guy won't ask a stupid question like that again.....
It's a stupid question for sure, but I'm sure there are enormous amounts of dumb questions he gets asked. It was probably more situational than anything else. Just like the media doesn't know how to handle him, and they end up bashing him....He doesn't know how to handle the media, and ends up bashing them.
@BallSoHard Very true, and it doesn't help what he said at the very end. If he leaves the "n***** trippin" out of it, it helps his cause (marginally).
I thought the interview with Sager was worse than this to be honest. He was pouting after a blow out win in that occasion. This time he didn't like a question and he told him. Hopefully he also told Serge and Perk that they were trippin too.
The media needs to grow up sometimes, that is the most generic question in a post-game presser. The honest answer is both, like are you kidding, "did you guys lose this game, or did the opponent win this game?" Russell Westbrook is an All-Star PG in the NBA. RW0 is not playing in HS, he's not in College anymore and if he's asked a college-level/local-reporter style question he won't and will never have time for that.
Basically Westbrook doesn't waste time with BS (BS questions, BS personal attacks, BS analyst opinions, BS calls against him, BS negative plays), the guy is a complete and utter competitor 100% of the time and he gets attacked constantly for having an unwavering desire to be great 24/7/365. Why does it happen to him? Because there are a handful of people on this earth who grind as hard as him, he is one of the best in the NBA, but in his mind he can be 400% better. It's what keeps guys like him going, its why he will make more money than everyone commenting on this, its why he will continue to be exactly the way he is and its why he will continue to be a badass after he is done with the NBA... because he does not entertain nor concern himself with BS, it's as simple as that.
He's a "get out of my way, i'll f**king do it!" kind of guy, which is why his teammates have his back because in sports, when those guys talk you listen, because he means everything he says, even when he asks a bush-league reporter "what are you talking about man?" He isn't wired to understand BS like that...
If you dont want an answer like that, don't ask a ridiculous question. That is the kind of question that idiots on First Take will debate, assigning "blame" or "reward" to a team losing a regular season game. Considering the way Russ has been treated by the media the entire time he has been in the NBA, it doesnt exactly come as a shock to me when he reacts act this.
No offense Royce but, "but there’s a difference between dealing with reporters and not treating them like human beings.", How often has the media treated Westbrook like a human being and with respect.
I think any player would resent the media if they were constantly attacked the way Russ is. Russ just doesn't give enough of a sh*t to hide it.
heres the rest of the interview if anyone's interested.
http://1280thezone.com/index.php/audio/listen/jazz_109_thunder_94_russell_westbrook_post
@OKC035 I'd be curious to know if Royce was at the game last night or if this post was a reaction to what Darnell posted. Seems out of context given that the whole interview Russ was accommodating, answering questions, being polite and not combative.. and then you get an idiot question and an idiot response.
@OKC035 Seemed really polite to everyone else who asked a decent question. That dude got owned by Russ though
I really wish he had walked back out a second later, yelled 'ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!', picked up a mic to drop it and then walked off for good.
It's not like Westbrook gets any nicer when the media speaks well of him. He is who he is 24/7
In RW's voice, “If I was considering about [media] I’d do a lot of s–t different,”...
lol...
And lets be honest, idiotic questions like that are simply for sound bytes and quotes. There's no real information or journalism to it. Just a bad reporter trying to fill up his/her column. Sorry if you're the one who asked it Royce, but there has never been a coach or player in history that has cared for that question.
Perhaps it's my jaded cynicism, but I'm not going to feel sorry for someone who writes about sports for a living and gets to meet and talk to my athletic heroes on a regular basis because one of them isn't nice when you ask him (admittedly) dumb questions anymore than I feel bad for said athletes who play basketball for absurd amounts of money when they are scrutinized by the media.
Do we know who asked that question?
@BallSoHard [media response] WhAAAAAAAAT?!? You trippin' bro!
@Barry Amenema @BallSoHard Your humor makes my day.
Probably just the homer in us, but I mean, Russell is Russell. He don't care what anyone thinks. He's not worried about his endorsements, money, being the media darling, or anything like that. In his mind, he just remembers, 'I haven't been able to watch ESPN for the last 3 years because they blame every single loss and bad stat on me me all day long'. So ya, ain't nobody got time for stupid ass questions like that.
@thunder_mike Liked for your sweet brown reference. Aint nobody got time for dat!
And that is why Russ is a one of kind player. He is the epitome of a honeybadger. He dont give a F@#K about anything but his team and winning. Its ok Russ. Go pop a ozarka water and get ready for Thursday.
Imo he's drunk lol
@No beard no fear Wait, I'm confused...what are you laughing off?
Hmmm.. I'm not sure I can totally sympathize with you on this, Royce... or any members of the media for that matter. The media continuously tears Russ down and apart at every opportunity and that is a fact. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to accommodate any members of the media if I'm going to be the whipping boy anyway.
The Media has never been on his side why should he entertain them?
I mean...if you've been bashed by said media for the last three years...wouldn't you have a short temper with them too?
Even this is a reoccurring theme with Russ, there have been just as many good interviews with him where he isn't snarky.
@novelisticbee0 its about the absurd ass questions they ask. even then after game questions on the court are stupid. "so in the 3rd quarter, you turned up the defense, can you tell me what changed?" Me: DID YOU WATCH THE F##$%ING GAME? lol we played better DUH.
@Legendary_Dork Even the question the lady asked BEFORE the guy's question got a basic answer from Russ. He answered it because it was a straight forward question. Then you follow up with THAT? Lol Please.
Doesn't bother me. It bothers the media members but I could care less if he's not nice to the media.
@okcjim If this was LeBron, Kobe or DRose, the media would say "Look at the passion, the competitive fire. That's what makes him so great."
@FF_pickups @okcjim Honestly, every criticism of Westbrook comes back to "It would be different if he didn't play with Durant." Which is stupid, because with both of them at 24 we have a historically great offense. Diminishing returns and such.
so at work today i encountered a heat fan, it was a magical journey filled with false facts and G.O.A.T!
i might tell it cause its so absurd
It should be pretty obvious that Russ will likely never say that the other team played better than him/them.
@D-MC i know right. thats like asking a rape victim. did you get raped? or did you rape them? just curious
i love russ's . WHAAT? are you retarded look