Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook terrified announcers on Halloween with a missed shot that’s reminiscent of his “Westbrick” nickname.
Russell Westbrook hasn’t been himself since he’s been traded to the Lakers — or, maybe, he’s been more of himself, but in the worst way.
Westbrook took a mid-range jump shot against Houston Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon when his ball bounced off the backboard in an embarrassing moment.
The call says it all: “Westbrook from the mid—oh my God,” the announcer said as Westbrook’s attempt bounces off of the top left corner of the backboard.
“Air bank,” he continued as the Rockets shot downcourt with the rebound, describing a bank shot that caught nothing but air.
Russell Westbrook’s shooting hasn’t been the same as a Los Angeles Laker
Westbrook comes to the Lakers as a decorated NBA veteran, winning the 2017 MVP award and becoming an NBA All-Star nine times.
While it makes sense that the Lakers would trade for the talented Westbrook, history shows “Westbrick” has an ugly history with missed shots.
It was during the 2020 playoffs against the Lakers that Westbrook earned the nickname. Entering the series with a one-game lead, Harden and Westbrook let the Rockets fall to what would become the eventual 2020 NBA Champions. In that particular game, Westbrook allowed seven turnovers, only scoring 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Westbrook earned yet another mocking nickname when he allowed ten turnovers in a Lakers-Thunder loss on Oct. 27.
It’s a disappointing showing from Westbrook, whose 4-3 team hasn’t been the dominant force that the Lakers have been in recent seasons. In his first six games of the 2021-22 season, Westbrook has an 18-8-8 stat line.
The Lakers did defeat the Rockets on Halloween night by 10 points, winning 95-85, and Westbrook did bounce back from the second-quarter miss by leading the team with 20 points.
Still, Westbrook missed over half the shots he took, making just 9-of-22 attempts from the field and making 2-of-4 on his 3-pointers.
Perhaps the “Westbrick” curse has come back to haunt Westbrook after all, as the Lakers point guard will have to make more bank shots to bank on any chance at a playoff run this season.