Nice interaction between Russell Westbrook and a kid reporter yesterday pic.twitter.com/pAeTHf923L
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 14, 2016
Oklahoma City’s fiery point guard, Russell Westbrook, plays the game with a fury that is quite simply unmatched among other mere mortals of the NBA. Every ferocious dunk feels like an act of vengeance meant to rectify some eternal wrong committed against him, and woe unto those who stand in his way as he explodes through the lane.
But the great paradox of Russell Westbrook is that, off the court, he’s a big softie at heart, particularly when it comes to kids. In fact, he and his foundation recently opened the first of presumably many “Russell’s Reading Rooms” in a local Oklahoma City area elementary school. His interaction with an adorably precocious kid reporter at media day Saturday was a great reminder of this gentler side of the five-time All-Star.
Asked how many dunks he would get in Sunday’s showcase, Westbrook was more than happy to oblige, promising that he would get at least one. But that answer wasn’t going to cut it, not for this junior media member who had much higher expectations for last year’s All-Star Game MVP. After a bit of back-and-forth, Westbrook finally relented that he would try for at least three dunks. Given his performance in last year’s exhibition, it really isn’t asking too much, considering that he plays each and every game like it’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
