Statement: I am a representative of the Oklahoma City Thunder and I am here to talk about the incident that happened this past weekend when we played the Memphis Grizzlies.
Overview: Russel Westbrook was backing down a smaller guard when Thabo Sefolosha cut to the basket, not allowing Russel Westbrook to attack the basket and as a result, he ended up getting a five second call. After the five second call, he (Russel) slammed the ball against the floor and started screaming at teammate Thabo Sefolosha. Then, when he got on the bench, Assistant coach Maurice Cheeks attempted to calm down Westbrook, but he was ineffective. Westbrook, then, slammed the chair next to him and walked away from the bench and into the back. We are aware of Westbrook’s attitude, but we are also aware of his competitive edge and the talent that he brings to our basketball team, which will someday allow us to win a championship. We will take a little extra attitude if it means having a PG with a killer instinct like Russel’s. In the past, there have been arguments that have gone on between Russel and teammates, for example last year when KD and Russel got into an argument on the bench during a timeout. It’s not a big deal, this team has shown that they can go through those things and still be a successful team.

1. Why doesn’t coach bench Westbrook for a game? Because Westbrook knows that even though he overreacted, the game wasn’t over and he still had to go out in the 4th quarter and perform. 2. Do