Westbrook's fiery press conference ignited a historic triple-double performance, leading the Kings to victory.
Kings veteran point guard Russell Westbrook is used to going viral for his emphatic dunks and filled stat sheets, but this past week, he went viral for something else - his postgame press conference.
Following the Sacramento Kings' 133-123 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, veteran point guard Russell Westbrook took to the microphone for his postgame press conference, but this time he flipped the questions onto the reporters.
Westbrook called out reporters for making "a lot of broad statements without context," before asking media to "respect what we do and we'll respect what you do."
Westbrook's remarks drew a lot of attention on social media, generating mixed reviews about how Westbrook handled the interaction. But, Westbrook's rant seems to have injected some energy into him and the team, as the Westbrook had a historical night in Sacramento's first game since - a 126-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The former MVP turned back the clocks with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, joining Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James as the only two players to have 10 or more triple-doubles after turning 35.
Westbrook also became the oldest player in NBA history to record 20/10/10 with no turnovers, according to the Real App.
Following the game, Westbrook talked about what was working for him and the team.
"Just playing together. I thought we did a good job of as you mentioned, taking care of the ball, playing together, playing with pace, regardless of who's on the floor," Westbrook said.
This was Westbrook's first triple-double since early December, adding to his lead on the All-Time Triple-Double List with No. 208.
Rookie big man Maxime Raynaud also had a strong game, benefiting from four of Westbrook's 12 dimes. Earlier this week, Raynaud talked about how Westbrook has helped him during his first season in the league.
"He talks with me a ton about my play, my confidence and about what comes outside of basketball in the NBA," Raynaud said. "I think he's really one of those guys that helped me flip the switch between college and the league, so I've been very appreciative."
The Kings are back in action Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers at 10:00 p.m. The last time these squads met was actually Westbrook's last triple-double, as he led Sacramento with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. Despite his impressive play, the Pacers outlasted the Kings 116-105.
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