Westbrook likes to mention a new internet meme? Why do the Kings also let Westbrook "be himself"?

History is always strikingly similar. The head coaches of the Clippers, Nuggets and Kings all said to Westbrook: "I hope he can be himself." Fans even combed through interviews from previous years and found that Westbrook had a high content of "being himself". In view of his passionate but often aggressive personality in recent years, his brave rushing and insufficient shooting style, "being himself" has become a new joke for him.

Is it really that bad to let Westbrook "be himself"? So why did the king let him "be himself"?

Kings general manager Perry said: "Westbrook has the characteristics that the team is trying to cultivate. He can provide leadership on and off the court." How to understand this statement? The Kings have missed the playoffs for two consecutive years, and their lineup has undergone major changes, so their competitiveness is limited. Signing Westbrook will not bring much improvement in his playing style, but with his fighting spirit, he may be able to inject "chicken blood" into the team and stimulate the players' lower limit. This is the so-called "catfish effect"!

The positive impacts of letting Westbrook "be himself" are countless. For example, in the 2016-17 season, Durant switched to the Warriors. Westbrook renewed his single-core contract and carried the team into the playoffs with an explosive triple-double averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. It can be called the strongest positive effect of "being yourself"!

In the 2020-21 season, Westbrook averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game, becoming the "Historical Triple-Double King" and regaining his seat with the Wizards, who had missed the playoffs for two consecutive years. After Westbrook left the following year, the Wizards have never made the playoffs.

In the 2023 playoffs, George and Leonard were injured one after another. Westbrook, who was "being himself", scored high scores of 28, 30, and 37 in three consecutive games. With a basic salary of 780,000, he was forced to compete with the Suns' Big Four with a maximum salary of 110 million. Although the Clippers lost a fight to the death, but in the absence of two stars, the team's blood and backbone are still respected.

Last season, Westbrook activated the Nuggets' defense with a broken finger, averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game, helping the Nuggets beat the Clippers in the tiebreaker. In the semifinals, Westbrook added another fracture to his finger, but he still played seven games with the injury and had surgery at the end of the season.

Originally, Westbrook's Nuggets contract was a player option this summer, his salary was fully guaranteed, and he had high hopes of winning the championship, but Westbrook resolutely jumped out of the contract. According to US media and former NBA player Danny Green, the Nuggets in the new season are no longer prepared to include Westbrook in their plans after strengthening through transactions, and will even give priority to some players who are weaker than him. Westbrook still wanted to "be himself" on the court and was unwilling to just act as a mentor in the locker room, so he turned around and left.

In his first game with the Kings, Westbrook will still pursue defense and block shots at full speed, fly and grab rebounds, and his 6 rebounds are second on the team. Many times, "being yourself" may not be the optimal solution, but it is really rare to be able to "be yourself" all the time. Friends who have been sharpened by society will definitely understand!