Sam Cassell talked about Russell Westbrook’s competitive spirit during the Austin River’s ‘Go Off Podcast‘. The Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach shared a story about the Houston Rockets superstar and Rivers’ teammate Russell Westbrook playing pick-up with him while he was at UCLA.
Cassell and Westbrook confronted each other, when Russell was at UCLA and the veteran guard was a member of the Clippers during the 12th year of his career.
“We used to go to UCLA in the summers. I’m in there one day working him over, I’m just pump-faking and everything. And he just has so much energy. One time Kevin Garnett came over to UCLA and I said, ‘You know that kid, Russell?’ And KG said ‘Who’s that?’ I said, ‘the kid who’s been dunking, running all fast with the ball. He’s gonna be good, man’,” Cassell said, per Fansided.com.
After Cassell worked him in their first meeting, Westbrook was eager to take one back against the veteran combo guard.
“So me and Ticket [Garnett] were walking around the gym and I said, ‘That kid is gonna be awesome one day. That man confronted me.’ At that time I’m a bad boy, and he met me at the door,” Cassell continued.
“His motor was always like that. He always wanted to take on a challenge.”
Cassell’s full story can be found at 20:06 of the video below.
