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LOS ANGELES — LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook unsuccessful their to start with serious examination jointly, a 121-114 reduction to the Golden State Warriors on opening night time, but they identified some widespread floor.
All three of them have now misplaced in their Lakers debuts: James from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2018, Davis in opposition to the LA Clippers in 2019 and Westbrook towards the Warriors on Tuesday.
Whilst James (34 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) and Davis (33 details, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks) outperformed Westbrook, who had a team-worst additionally/minus of minus-23 in 35 minutes and completed with 8 factors on 4-for-13 capturing and 4 turnovers, their even larger affect may possibly have occur in the postgame locker room, lifting up their new teammate.
“I advised Russ to go dwelling and look at a comedy,” James said. “Do anything that can place a smile on his face. He is so difficult on himself. I told him, ‘Don’t be so tricky on your self. It is one video game.'”
It was comparable to a pep talk James gave to Davis when their to start with sport collectively in Los Angeles also failed to go their way.
“My initial time, I sat next to LB, he looked at me, and he said, ‘You’re good, this is Sport 1,'” Davis recalled. “He is laughing. He’s joking on the mobile phone. And I am like, ‘Why am I upset then?’ And I kind of just went with the stream. And it is the identical factor with Russ. And I told him the exact matter. ‘I’m the same way you had been.’ We said some matters to him, and he smiled and factors like that, so I anticipate him to be improved in the sport Friday.”
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If Westbrook broke out a grin in the locker area, it was gone by the time he reached the media space for his postgame interviews.
“We talked” was all Westbrook would say about the conversation with Davis and James.
His entire media session lasted much less than 3 minutes as he stored his solutions as brief as attainable.
James, who has generally stated that practical experience is the best trainer, was hopeful that Westbrook would glean some point of view from the ordeal.
“I just do not want him to be so tricky on himself,” James reported. “That was the just one thing that I hoped to get by means of to him, never be so tough on himself. Go property and you happen to be going to see 3 toddlers that he has that may be asleep, but they’ll place a smile on his experience. He has a lovely spouse and family. So at the close of the day, you go property and you’re genuinely like, ‘OK, that was not that terrible. It really is really not that bad.'”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel acknowledged the difficult spot Westbrook finds himself in.
“Him far more than any person, it’s heading to be an adjustment period,” Vogel stated. “He is coming into our culture, our method. He is the new man, and he is got to obtain his way. It’s difficult, when you happen to be used to getting the guy who has the ball most evenings, to be equipped to perform off of other folks like Bron and Advert. So it really is just a minimal little bit unique for him. He’s going to be good for us, but it truly is going to be an adjustment interval.”
Whilst Westbrook appears to be to expand within just the team, James is urging him to be the player he was before he came to Los Angeles — an uber-self-confident 9-time All-Star, Olympian and previous league MVP.
“It can be complicated to go into a new process and striving to fit in but also bring what you carry to the table at a higher amount to in good shape out as properly,” James reported. “And if you will find 3 guys on this group that shouldn’t be nervous about not fitting in, it can be in all probability myself, Advert and Russ. Certainly we’re heading to do whichever it takes to help the crew win, but for us three, we need to fit out as properly.”
Both of those James and Davis put the blame on “1st-video game jitters” for Westbrook, with Davis relating to Westbrook playing on a even bigger stage than he has been made use of to — “When you occur in this article, the lights are brighter,” Davis explained — and James figuring out what it is like to go back again house to participate in.
“There almost certainly was just a large amount likely by his head, becoming a child from L.A. and looking at the Lakers increasing up and then having said that a lot of several years down the highway and now you happen to be placing on a Laker uniform and you might be stepping into Staples Center,” James mentioned.
Westbrook, even now stewing on the final result although speaking to reporters, took possession of the endeavor forward for him and his crew as they consider to arrive alongside one another to notice their championship goal.
“I just received to figure it out,” he reported. “That’s all.”
