Westbrook was never one of my favorite players during most of his prime, but seeing how Westbrook has handled his last few years helped me gain a lot of respect for him.

Sure he never was the lead guy on a championship team, but his competitiveness is amazing. He played his best through all the Lakers drama. Westbrook also put up 37 in a playoff game in the most recent playoffs. I’m quite a huge fan of this late-career Westbrook.

Kobe - when I first started following the NBA as a kid, Kobe was the player I liked to root against. Near the end of his career I had nothing but love for him.

  • thesch@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Lonzo Ball, all of the talking Lamar did when he was coming into the league made me want to see Lonzo fail badly. But Lonzo himself seems to be the opposite of his dad. He’s more quiet, hardworking, and improved his game every year he was healthy.

    • LothCatPerson@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      100% agree. I assumed he was an ass because of all the talking his dad seemed to do for him, but not only do I think he’s a better player than I have him credit for being, but seeing interviews and clips of him off the court makes me think he’s a better person than I gave him credit for being as well.

    • UGLEHBWE@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Most definitely. I never had the hate for him because I seen his whole comeup. Hes way closer to a d rose attitude than like his dad or his brothers

    • DefenderCone97@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      And if you notice, his dad basically shut up once his kids got drafted. I haven’t seen him anywhere.

      • sinnayre@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        One of the reasons his dad shut up was because of the fallout due to Big Balla Brand. Arguably Lonzo’s leg issues stem from wearing those shoes.

    • Moheezy__3@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Yeah it’s too bad. Lonzo could have had a Jrue Holiday type of impact fro teams looking to compete for a chip. I hope he somehow get healthy again.

    • LilSwampGod@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Honestly I’ve had a 180 Lavar himself, now that I’m a dad. Sure, he is obnoxious, but he’s only ever tried to pump up his children and set them up to be more successful than he’s ever been.

      • shortchangehero86@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        but he’s only ever tried to pump up his children

        I would argue his training methods were absolute shit and you could argue is one of the reasons Lonzo couldn’t stay healthy (Such as improper technique when lifting weights). Also add in the controversy of the BBB sneakers.

    • 2020IsANightmare@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      People say that now because he’s been severely injured (and, even if he plays again, will never live up to his draft position.)

      His daddy was just a self-marketing machine. Obnoxious? Sure. But, the 45th ad you see for Nike or Adidas or whatever the fuck isn’t annoying?

    • legless_chair@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Honestly crazy you wanted to see a kid fail who was entirely unproblematic because his dad has a loud mouth

    • Raging-Timberwolf@alien.topB
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      11 months ago

      Similarly, LaMelo. Dude is a baller. Thought he was a flashy, selfish player who would never win. But he’s a baller and I love watching him pass

    • yolkadot@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      100%. After the first few games of his, I wanted him to succeed and become an alltime great laker and lead them in the next big rivalry.

      Especially with Tatum going third.

      I really hope he can stay healthy some time.

        • yolkadot@alien.topB
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          11 months ago

          The most fun times for me were the big 3 vs Kobe and Pau. Also bird vs magic was really nice getting into basketball at a young age.

          Those were special rivalries. They really hated each other. I loved it!