Oklahoma City Thunder guard/human cyclone Russell Westbrook is known as one of the most high-intensity players in today’s NBA.
Based on the video below, courtesy of Hoopmixtape.com’s Twitter account, it appears as if that non-stop energy translates to off-season workouts as well.
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The video, taken at the Team USA minicamp, shows Westbrook participating in a drill in which, operating out of the post, he is given two dribbles to create an open shot. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, Westbrook takes his dribbles, is unsatisfied with his positioning, and then fires the ball back out to the wing, which sort of defeats the whole purpose of the drill.
(However, Westbrook passing the ball instead of chucking up an ill-advised shot is something to celebrate. Just kidding, Thunder fans.)
His earnest explanation causes New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Cleveland Cavaliers Swiss Army knife LeBron James to burst out laughing. Watch:
LeBron and Melo lose it when Russell Westbrook defeats the whole purpose of the drill (2 dribbles to score) pic.twitter.com/7tnWaHwaa0
— Hoopmixtape.com (@Hoopmixtape) August 13, 2015
I feel your pain, Westbrook. My glorious basketball career — many, many years of riding the bench and snagging unimportant rebounds during garbage time — was defined by being an at-practice try-hard. I was one of those players who would dive for loose balls and draw charges, which did not exactly endear me to my teammates, most of whom just wanted to make it through practice unscathed. So I know what it is like to have your efforts laughed at, to be the butt of “hey, save some for the game” jokes. Am I bitter about it? No. These tears are because it is dusty in here, and you can’t prove otherwise.