Russell Westbrook Gives Clarification to Viral Huddle Video During Their Preseason Loss

After several videos ruled the internet, Lakers’ veteran guard Russell Westbrook gave context to debunk any signs of discord. These videos portrayed Russell Westbrook as deliberately distancing himself from teammates during their preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In one video taken by Instagram user Michael Morales from a seat behind the Lakers bench, Westbrook is seen introducing himself to teammates around the foul line before departing for the bench alone while the Lakers gathered.
“Pregame, I’ve been doing that since I’ve been in the league for years, man,” Westbrook said after practice Thursday. “I think they just cut the video and obviously the internet is going to take it and run with whatever they need to run with. But, I’ve been doing the same ritual since I’ve been in the league.”
Westbrook’s wife, Nina, tweeted “Smh… and it begins” in response to a Twitter user who displayed multiple images and videos of Westbrook performing the same lonely pregame ritual on past teams he has played for.
Another video, taken from the broadcast and extensively circulated on Twitter, showed Westbrook waiting outside the lane for the Wolves’ free throw attempts while Patrick Beverley gathered his teammates for an on-court huddle after a foul by him early in the third quarter.
A different video angle from the same time provides a more comprehensive look at the series of actions that came before Beverley invited Westbrook to join in.
Westbrook spoke with the official who made the call first, and then he turned to the Lakers bench to speak with the coaching staff about the defensive possession. He didn’t pay any attention to Beverley.
Westbrook said:
“As far as the other video, I was actually talking to the coaches and they cut that video in half as well. I was talking to the coaches about a missed coverage. So, I don’t pay any mind to it, man.
“Honestly I’m just trying to compete and do my job. Everything, including videos, gets nitpicked. You can cut any video and make anything you want out of it. It’s not up to me to be able to judge that. I know I’m a genuine team player. I’ve never had a problem being with my teammates, so I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing.”
He further explained that he was unaware that any video of the attempted huddle exist until he was asked about it after the game.
“If I don’t know something happened, then I can’t really address something that I don’t know happened.
Since the Lakers attained Westbrook in a trade with the Washington Wizards in the summer of 2021, he has been the target of frustration. Last season, L.A. failed to make the playoffs as a result of a number of team issues, including widespread injuries and unsatisfying role-player efforts.
Westbrook chose to stay in Los Angeles despite the challenging season and the new coach Darvin Ham has vowed to get more from the former league MVP this year.