During the first quarter of the Charlotte Hornets 123-112 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook threw the ball towards referee Tre Maddox after the Thunder called a timeout. Maddox turned his head as Westbrook let go of the ball, and it hit him on the side of his face. Westbrook was assessed a technical foul, his 10th of the season, and was shocked at the call.
(Video) NBA: Russell Westbrook Got Ejected, Then Went On A Rant About Referee’s Not Treating Him Fairly
photo credit: twitter Russell Westbrook did not have a good night. He finished with 21 points on a horrid 6-19 shooting and didn’t have any assists. His stat sheet was not what we’re used to seeing, in part because he was ejected about halfway through the third quarter for making a comment to one of the refs. After the game, he ranted about how he is not being treated fairly and he doesn’t appreciate it.
(Video) NBA: Russell Westbrook Denies Yelling ‘Thank You Kyrie,’ Saying ‘F–k do I look like?!’
A video of Russell Westbrook sprinting into the team’s tunnel toward the locker room was posted to Twitter by the Thunder’s official account. As Westbrook made his way off the court he yelled “thank you” to someone. The video began to spread on social media and many people believed Westbrook was shouting thank you to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who hit a game-winning shot to defeat Westbrook’s former teammate Kevin Durant and his new team, the Golden State Warriors. Westbrook, however, denies that’s what he said.
NBA: Mark Cuban Still Doesn’t Believe Russell Westbrook Is A Superstar
photo credit Mark Cuban definitely didn’t become a billionaire by being a dummy yet he seems to be one of the only people who isn’t smart enough to realize how much of a superstar player that Russell Westbrook is. You may remember back in April when the Thunder were facing the Mavs in the first round of the playoffs, Cuban said a true superstar can carry a mediocre roster to 50 wins and a postseason series win. He noted that the Thunder failed to make the playoffs in 2014-15, when Kevin Durant missed most of the season because of a foot injury. Cuban was wrong then and is still wrong now for trying to stand behind his original comments.
(Video) NBA: Michael Jordan Praises Russell Westbrook As He Inducts Him Into The Oklahoma Hall Of Fame
Michael Jordan is not a guy who easily gives out praise to other NBA players whether past or present, so when he goes out of his way to show nothing but love and respect for Russell Westbrook, you know it’s sincere. MJ praised Russ for his loyalty as he helped induct him into the Oklahoma Hall Of Fame last night in Oklahoma City. He even managed to take a very slight jab at Kevin Durant as well as joke that Russ could’ve left the Thunder for the Charlotte Hornets.
(Video) NBA: Russell Westbrook On Warriors Trash Talk “We’ll See Them Again”
While there wasn’t much talk last night between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant directly, there was definitely a whole lot of talking going on in general. Thunder players like Enes Kanter and Jerami Grant tried to talk to Durant, which turned out to be a horrible idea, while a couple players on the Warriors were chirping as well. The trash talk coming from Golden State was something that wasn’t lost on Westbrook after the game.
