Russell Westbrook Slander Out of Control Since the Lakers Traded Him

The Russell Westbrook experiment for the Los Angeles Lakers ended this week with the team sending him to Utah as part of a three-team deal. Westbrook appeared in 130 games with the Lakers, but things never clicked the way the most optimistic Lakers fans hoped they might. The team missed the playoffs last year as he started 78 games and they were on the way to the same place this year as Westbrook continued to play like Westbrook, despite finally accepting a role where he came off the bench. It's hard to find anyone who is surprised at how this went, but it's still a little shocking to hear what people are saying about him now that he's gone.

This morning on SportsCenter Brian Windhorst was extremely animated as he said that Westbrook was "functionally killing them" before shouting, "He was killing them!" for further emphasis.

Then on NBA Today's trade deadline coverage Dave McMenamin said a source told him, "you remove a vampire from the locker room." Was it a metaphor? Maybe not, McMenamin added, "That meaning that a vampire sucks the blood out of a locker room." If Russell Westbrook really is a vampire that would explain why the Lakers only play games at night.

Who knows where Westbrook will play next, but the results will probably be the same. How high expectations are will probably determine how freely the slander flows once he's gone. The Wizards had nothing but good things to say about Westbrook after he was traded to the Lakers. General manager Tommy Sheppard said Westbrook was ready to come back and they would have been happy to bring him back. Bradley Beal and other former teammates have spoken highly of him. Guess they just don't take kindly to vampires in LA.

READ NEXT: 30 Best SportsCenter Anchors of All-Time