Russell Westbrook turns the tables on reporters, challenging their insights and demanding they truly understand the game before offering opinions.
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.
After being asked about what can still be accomplished at this point in Sacramento's season, Westbrook responded, "You know, go out, compete. This the game, you're a professional. You go out and play and that's all you can do."
A short pause filled the room before Westbrook asked, "What y'all think, though? Y'all got a lot of answers and always be talking."
Reporters hesitated to respond, so Westbrook went on, saying, "You guys have a lot of opinions about how we do what we're doing."
Eventually, Westbrook called on a reporter whom he accused of making "a lot of broad statements without context," and asked him what he thought. He continued his questioning, asking the reporter if he frequently attends practice, film or is anywhere around the facility at all.
Westbrook essentially answered the question for the reporter, saying "I haven't seen you at practice." He then asked, "Do you know me?"
"No, you don't know me," Westbrook said, answering his own rhetorical question. "But you make a lot of comments as though you do know me.
"You don't know anything about me."
Westbrook then opened the floor for questions or comments, telling the media in attendance, "You guys are quiet today. But you guys have a lot of comments when the game is going on, after the game, what we're doing, what we should be doing and how we should be doing it. I'm confused."
Eventually, a reporter raised his hand, then asserted, "I'm not in your film session, but you guys have the worst record in the NBA. You guys have been bottom-three in offense and defense throughout the year. So I think that's fair."
Westbrook shot back, "What's fair?" before engaging in a back-and-forth with the reporter.
"You think we should have success. Right?" Westbrook asked. After the reporter agreed, he moved on, asking another reporter what he thought.
The second reporter said he has been covering the NBA for a long time and this was "by far the worst season" he has seen.
Westbrook said, "What I don't like, I've been in the league a long time and I've been around a lot of different organizations. Media, beat writers and we have a lot of young guys on this team, a lot of guys who don't know what's happening..
"Your guys' job is to talk about the game, what's happening in the game, not stir up a bunch of, I don't want to cuss here because I don't want to get fined, but stir up a bunch of stuff that is not accurate."
Westbrook elaborated further before asking the media to "respect what we do and we'll respect what you do."
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