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LA Clippers President's Statement on Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has a player option

Joey Linn

Apr 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks
Apr 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook released a statement after the season ended, addressing several different topics from his role this season to recent reporting about how receptive he was to it.

Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank was asked in his final media availability of the season about his experience with Westbrook this season, especially as it pertained to his role decreasing.

"I think you gotta give Russ a ton of credit," Frank said. "You look at a guy who’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, who’s one of the most unique players that have played this game. The fact that he’s our most athletic player at 35 is incredible. The fact that he was willing to come off the bench, he impacted a lot of games and a lot of wins, and his energy, his competitiveness, his fierceness, his downhill ability. He had unbelievable stretches of individual defense."

Frank added, "So you got to give Russ a lot of credit for sacrificing and doing what he did. There’s a reason why he’s one of our fans’ most favorite players, and wherever he’s been, he’s always been a fan favorite. Guys in the locker room love Russ, so I got a lot of respect for Russ, what he’s done for his career, what he’s done for the Clippers, and he’s one of the game’s true great players."

When asked if the hope is that Westbrook will return next season, whether via opting in or re-signing a new contract, Frank said, "I think, look the way it works with the player options is typically you sit down, I’ll sit down with Russ, [Tyronn Lue] will sit down with Russ, talk with his representative Jeff Schwartz and you kind of outline what the role is going forward."

Frank finished by saying, "It's very similar to when Russ came last summer, like we explained to him exactly what the role is, what it could be, the different guys that we’re looking at, and then Russ has a decision to make. And so we’ll kind of go through the process. So, I’m not going to speak for any player in terms of what they’re thinking, but that’s our process."

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Joey Linn

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.