How Will Smith played a key role in Russell Westbrook's Lakers downfall

How Russell Westbrook became Lakers scapegoat

Russell Westbrook’s tenure with the Lakers was one of the most scrutinized stretches of his Hall of Fame career. When he arrived in 2021, the Lakers sold it as the formation of a new "Big Three" alongside James and Davis, a trio meant to bring another championship to L.A. 

Instead, the partnership unraveled almost immediately. Every missed jumper, every turnover, every postgame quote was magnified. When fans at Crypto.com Arena began booing Westbrook during home games, it symbolized how quickly the excitement had turned into frustration.

Even as he tried to adapt, Westbrook became the scapegoat for a team that never fit together, even after a coaching change to Darvin Ham. When the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2022, headlines focused on his perceived stubbornness rather than the front office’s missteps or the stars’ lack of availability. 

Tension reportedly peaked during trade-deadline season, when Westbrook suspected James was quietly lobbying for the Lakers to trade him in a deal for then-Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving. While James publicly said he supported Westbrook and wanted him to succeed, sources told Weitzman that Westbrook felt betrayed, believing James' private push for Irving contradicted his public loyalty.

His "Westbrick" nickname became a media obsession, and viral clips of missed shots overshadowed nights when he nearly posted triple-doubles. By the time he was traded to Utah and then joined the Clippers, the narrative had already been written that Westbrook was washed, uncoachable and the reason the Lakers fell apart. 

In truth, he was placed in an unwinnable situation. He was asked to be a role player on a roster that never played to his strengths and was blamed for problems that went far beyond him.

Since leaving Los Angeles, Westbrook has tried to rebuild his image with flashes of his old energy and production. Still, he knows the Lakers years altered how people see him. 

During a recent fan interaction caught on video, Westbrook refused to sign a Lakers jersey, shaking his head before saying he’d "rather not." To those close to him, the gesture wasn’t about bitterness; it was about boundaries. The Lakers chapter, and the way it unfolded publicly, left scars that still linger.