“Russell Westbrook is not a buyout guy,” she said during a recent podcast appearance. “You have to agree to a buyout, and that’s not how he is wired. This is a guy who is very proud, and if you accept a buyout once in your career, you’re seen differently throughout the rest of your career.”
Shelburne continued to explain why Westbrook wouldn’t accept a buyout.
“Russ is Russ because of his swagger and the way he bleeds with it, the way he plays with it,” she said. “You can’t retreat from that. You can’t let go of that because that’s what made Russ, Russ — it’s his swagger. If he accepts that, then he’s no longer Russell Westbrook.”
If she’s right, and it’s hard to disagree with her logic, that all but sinks just about any Westbrook trade now and likely the whole season. It would mean team X WANTS Russ on the team, not just for his cap clearing expiring deal but to show up for the remainder of the season and play. Someone show me that list, lol.
Sounds like we should all get used to this: James, Westbrook, Davis, Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Kendrick Nunn, Damian Jones, Wenyen Gabriel, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Jay Huff, Fabian White Jr. and Javante McCoy.
Cole Swider and Scotty Pippen Jr. are on two-way contracts
If they don’t trade Russ, they have no chips to make moves and this roster could go down in flames quickly. No shooting or forwards with size to back uo James and Davis. And an inexperienced center coming off a major injury.
Been saying this since Russ coming here became a possibility; hell, since Lebron became a possibility…you can’t bring in dudes on this level expecting them to be anything other than what’s made them into dudes on this level. Lebron was never gonna mentor a buncha young dudes…he was gonna get them da fuqq up outta here for some dudes he could win with right now. Aint his job to worry about the future. Russ wasn’t gonna come here and be anything except RUSS. Full on, hair on fire, 100 mph. Good or Bad. And Frankie for damn sure wasn’t gonna be the coach who had the gravitas to change him. D.Ham seems to think he can do it but that’s probably a mistake as well. If you’re keeping him then you gotta accept him doing RUSS things and go from there. If he stays then it’ll luckily only be a one year experiment.
I could actually see him retiring at the end of this deal instead of changing. Just a different cat and that’s what made him a HOFer.
Yup. Spot on regarding the way these dudes are wired. Phil Jackson could maybe kinda sorta not really get that level of talent to buy in. None of these coaches are Phil. Rob ain’t Jerry West. And so on.
100%. I’m also not sure that LBJ is the same type of leader as MJ & Kobe from a personality standpoint. I think he’s a lil bit more passive/aggressive and not so much of a get in your face & cuss you out type of dude. Uses social media & traditional media too much to get his message across.
There is something to that, Mongo. Getting in guys faces in person is not part if his persona. That’s one reason why I like the Beverley trade. This team needs a player as well as a coach who will keep everybody accountable.
Great conversation here, fellas. I agree with everyone’s opinion.