Russell Westbrook lasted just one season in Houston. We may now have a clearer picture as to what went wrong, courtesy of what an anonymous source told ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins.
During an appearance on Monday’s edition of The Jump, Perkins said he was told Westbrook wanted to leave the Rockets because he “wasn’t being treated like the star” he believes he is.
“From a source of mine that happened to be on the [Houston] coaching staff, they said that Russell Westbrook felt like he wasn’t being treated like the star that he should have been treated like,” Perkins said, via Rockets Wire. “So, he wanted out.”
If true, Westbrook clearly didn’t have a strong relationship with Mike D’Antoni, the Rockets head coach at the time. Houston, of course, moved on from D’Antoni and replaced him with Stephen Silas. The Rockets shipped Westbrook off to D.C. in the process.
“From a source of mine that was on the Rockets coaching staff last year: Russell Westbrook felt like he wasn’t being treated like a star that he should have been treated like. So he wanted out.”
– Kendrick Perkins
(Via @NBATheJump ) pic.twitter.com/kuAmLnu31B— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) June 7, 2021
It’s crazy to think about how big a threat the Houston Rockets were just one season ago. James Harden and Russell Westbrook led the way, but it never amounted to much success.
Both Harden and Westbrook informed the Rockets during the 2020 off-season they’d like to be traded. Houston obliged, sending Westbrook to Washington in Dec. of 2020 and Harden to Brooklyn in Jan. of 2021.
It was hard to believe the Rockets were so willing to get rid of both former MVPs. But they did it with a full rebuild in mind. It’ll take years for Houston to become the Western Conference contender it once was.
Westbrook, meanwhile, helped guide the Wizards to the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed. They fell at the hands of the one-seed Philadelphia 76ers in five games last week, ending their postseason in the process.
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