Report: Russell Westbrook more interested in being ‘the man again’ than landing on a good team

Peter Dewey
2 Min Read
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook reportedly wants out from the Houston Rockets, and there is some clarity on why he feels that way.

Apparently, Westbrook was not a fan of playing second fiddle to James Harden last season and wants to be the man again.

“I thought he was trying to get to some good teams,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne said. “That was that was the initial intel I had. And then I had a couple more conversations and I turned around on a completely like, just it sounds like he and James didn’t get along. That whole partnership didn’t work. And he wants to go and be the man again. That’s just the vibe that I get.”

Westbrook still had a solid season statistically, as he averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.

However, the nine-time All-Star seems to want to go back to the role he had with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Westbrook was the focal point for the Thunder after Kevin Durant left the team. He averaged a triple-double in three consecutive seasons with the Thunder and was the MVP of the 2016-17 season.

Now, it will be interesting to see which if a team is will be willing to let Westbrook go back to his previous role as the lead guy.

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Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.