Russell Westbrook got into it with a reporter, during Sunday night's [April 23] round of playoff post-game interviews, and while a question the print journalist attempted to pose was ultimately shut down, he wouldn't allow himself to be cut short without putting up a fight.
In trying to get to the bottom of OKC's woes following their 113-109 loss to the Houston Rockets, Oklahoman columnist Berry Tramel selected to forgo checking in with Westbrook, and instead posed Steven Adams [who was seated next to Russ] his observation that the Thunder bench seems to struggle to keep the game close whenever their leader is taken out. Before Adams could respond to Tramel's inquiry into why he thinks it is they haven't been able to find success without Westbrook, however, the MVP candidate had taken over the mic, refusing to allow Adams to answer a question he projected to carry the risk of creating hostility and fracturing among the guys.
“Hold on, Steven. I don’t want nobody to try to split us up. We all one team. Regardless if I go to the bench, if Steven is on the floor, if I’m off the floor, we in this together. Don’t split us up. Don’t try to split us up, make us go against each other," he snapped. "Try and make it against Russell and the rest of the guys. Russell against Houston. I don’t want to hear that. We’re in this together. We’re playing as a team, and that’s all that matters. That’s it.”
Westbrook would then invite the next question, while scoping around the room for any takers. But Tramel had apparently refused to give the microphone up, in an attempt to force an answer from Adams himself, who he had intended to get a response from. Adams heard what Russell said, it was clear, simply shaking his head and avoiding the question when it came back to him.
Source: twitter.com
