There are some questions that players, understandably, don’t want to answer. That’s especially true after your team gets blown out in a do-or-die Game 7.
So when Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook was faced with a question about the player option in his contract for next season after his team had just taken a beating from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA veteran decided to answer the question with another question.
After Sunday’s Game 7 loss, Denver Nuggets beat writer Vinny Benedetto tracked down Westbrook to ask him about his plans for next season. Even if Benedetto knows he’s unlikely to get an answer to that question fresh off a loss, it’s his job to ask. Of course, Westbrook is well within his rights not to answer, too.
And not answer he did, albeit in a pretty clever way.
Per Benedetto, Westbrook looked at his watch, then asked what the reporter would be wearing tomorrow. Benedetto said he didn’t know, to which Westbrook replied, “exactly,” before walking off.
Was that a little rude on Westbrook’s part? Sure. But there are very few players that would speak candidly about their contract situation in that moment anyway. And in responding the way he did, Westbrook might’ve actually said more about his future than a simple “no comment” would have.
These are very sensitive moments. The reporter did his job and Westbrook did his. But it seems like Westbrook’s NBA future will be a storyline solved this offseason, and not moments after a Game 7 defeat.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.