Lakers News: Russell Westbrook's Family Happy About Returning to LA
The Prodigal Son has returned to Los Angeles. After a disappointing 2020-21 season in which the Lakers could not stay healthy or defend their title, they sought to make an immediate upgrade to their roster.
Enter Russell Westbrook. The former UCLA Bruin was taken out of Los Angeles during the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, now Oklahoma City Thunder. He spent most of his career there before making pitstops in Houston and in Washington before making his return to his hometown. He's become one of the game's biggest stars, racking up many accolades along the way. Now with the Lakers, he has a chance to secure something that has been out of his reach thus far, a NBA Title.
However, that isn't the only benefit for him on his move back to Southern California. Westbrook has always been a big family guy, and being back in Los Angeles has made them all very happy.
"Anytime a situation like this comes about or an opportunity presents itself it can be stressful. A lot of emotions, but ultimately the biggest thing for me being in this league when you know teams that actually want you - to me, that means more than anything else. At that point, it’s my job to make sure and come and do what I’m supposed to do and that’s to compete and make sure we have a chance to compete for a championship. And yes, my family was very, very happy."
Having a happy family would go a long way in helping Westbrook perform on the field. Knowing that he's back where it all started with the full support of his family behind him. So far he's already made himself at home by throwing out the first pitch at Dodgers Stadium last Sunday.
Hopefully he can lead the Lakers along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis back to glory. With all the talk about the team being filled with washed up veterans, he'll get every chance to prove them wrong.
