NBA Rumors: Russell Westbrook Has "Tremendous" Enthusiasm Over Ham Hiring


After a season in which he was made the scapegoat for everything that went wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers (not totally undeserved, most would argue), Russell Westbrook sees new head coach Darvin Ham as a "tremendous" boon to the Lakers, and, presumptively, himself.

NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski said that Westbrook "really expressed tremendous enthusiasm for the Darvin Ham hire. He really has started to connect with him on a human level. He really admires his path to becoming a head coach, and his no-nonsense approach, results-oriented."

One of the main takeaways Russ has had from listening to Ham's thoughts thus far, according to Woj, is "the idea that not only is he going to hold Russell Westbrook accountable as they move forward, but he's going to hold the entire team accountable. In his mind, that's a step for this organization."

Interesting take by Westbrook, since many would note that at his season-ending press conference, Russ never took any responsibility for his own dreadful performance this past season. No 'accountability'. 

Westbrook is expected to opt in to his $47M player option for the coming season. He has until June 29th to make it official.

Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports