The Sacramento Kings secured their second straight W, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 124-112, with Russell Westbrook leading the way by dropping 22 points, five rebounds, and seven assists against his former team.
The match was already on the front page because of LeBron James’s special moment, but now Russ’ postgame comments created waves across social media.
Russell Westbrook Admits He HATES the Lakers
Following the W, a reporter asked Westbrook if he gets extra motivation facing former teams during his post-game media availability. The nine-time All-Star didn’t hide his feelings. His reply was loaded with subtext and Lakers nation picked up on the shade immediately.
“Do you get up when you play your former teams like that?” asked the reporter.
Replying to that, Russ said, “I play the same way every night, but I do enjoy beating teams that I was formerly at, for different reasons.”
Westbrook beat the Rockets on the previous schedule with 15 points and 10 assists. He referenced different motivations for each victory but everyone knows his Lakers tenure left bitter memories.
Russell Westbrook admits he HATES the Lakers 🤣
“I do enjoy beating teams that I was formerly at, for different reasons”
pic.twitter.com/dWUYArL29f— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) January 13, 2026
Westbrook’s time in purple and gold became one of the most awkward fits in NBA history. Per reports, the franchise blamed him for their failures despite fielding LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Even critics openly called the Lakers and James out for scapegoating Westbrook.
Reports also revealed Westbrook felt uncomfortable with what he perceived as “fake” energy inside the Lakers’ locker room. Russ has since shown no love toward the team.
So, it’s safe to say that defeating the Lakers brought significant joy for him, but the Kings are way behind the Purple and Gold this season in terms of record (10-30), which gave folks on the internet plenty of topics to discuss.
Fans Roast Westbrook for Playing Victim Card
Lakers fans had never been in any mood to take his hatred cordially. And that reflected in their reactions.
One fan wrote, “Bruh you was a– on the lakers move on.”
Another added, “He was bad at Lakers full stop.”
The third noted, “He’s happy he finally has a greenlight to brick for a 14th seed team.”
A fifth fan claimed, “I laugh with people that talk shit when they have a good game but run like cowards when they play like trash.”
A random X user penned, “Oh the feeling is mutual here The lakers hate you the same or even more!!”
In this narrative, Russ comes off as an old-school player who keeps no friends on the court. Many were surprised to see James take the opposite side, suggesting their time as teammates meant little. Others think Russ is still holding onto what happened three years ago, while the Lakers have clearly moved on.
