Russell Westbrook and Damian Lilliard got into an exchange again. This time it was over a Jusef Nurkic foul. Westbrook went up for a layup and went to the floor early after Nurkic contested the shot. Westbrook immediately found Lillard to voice his frustrations.
The Westbrook and Lillard feud is one heavily documented one. Both are two of the best point guards in the league and just like any point guard matchup when they meet it is intense. After a January 31st game Lillard revealed that the two players have respect for each other.
Lillard said on Instagram:
“They confuse competing with hate, when it’s ruthless versus ruthless”
The superstar point guards are now at a point where when they see something that they don’t like on each other’s team they can say something about it. That is just where their relationship is at this point. While these two players are rivals the respect is mutual.
Lillard talked about the respect between the two players in an interview a year ago:
“I respect him a lot. He respects me a lot. I was disappointed that people tried to make it a dislike-type of rivalry because me and Russ is actually cool. I don’t have a problem with him. He don’t have a problem with me.”
“That dude is super competitive, and so am I. He ain’t friendly. He’s open with his meanness [and] louder about it. I’m not friendly, either. It’s all competitive, that’s all it is.”
