Aside from his difficulties on the basketball court, Russell Westbrook supposedly struggled with LeBron James ' hypocritical behavior while he was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers .
In an article from "The Ringer," writer Yaron Weitzman revealed that LeBron 's two-faced attitude had Russ frustrated throughout his tenure in L.A., but he tried to put up with it. However, Westbrook decided he had had enough during actor Will Smith's visit to the Lakers' facility.
After the Lakers' disastrous 33-49 season in 2021-22, GM Rob Pelinka organized a program called the " Los Angeles Lakers Genius Series," in which he invited celebrities from different fields to speak to the team and share their secrets to success.
On that particular day, the guest was Smith, who was six months removed from slapping Chris Rock at the 49th Academy Awards. But kidding aside, he was a very qualified speaker. He was one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and the winner of an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, and four Grammys.
According to Weitzman's story, the Lakers GM welcomed Smith to the team's facility, and they proceeded to team owner Jeanie Buss's office for a courtesy call. Rob left Will there and went to the team, which had just finished practice and told them about their guest. Allegedly, Bron said, "Y'all got this," and left. Anthony Davis stood up and followed James out of the gym.
The rest of the team was stunned. Westbrook stood up and wanted to leave, too, but Patrick Beverley persuaded him to stay after a discussion. New head coach Darvin Ham then fetched back his two stars and they ended up joining the session. What shocked Westbrook was how LeBron's mood suddenly changed.
Just minutes ago, he seemed uninterested in listening to Smith. But suddenly, here he was — the first to ask a question and the one who asked the most questions during the Q&A portion. Russ had had enough of Bron's fake personality.
"I hate that fake s–t," Westbrook reportedly said to a teammate. "I just can't do it."
The team then took a picture with Smith and Weitzman said Russ's look is proof of the story.
That summer, James's relationship with Westbrook became strained after the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets discussed a trade for Kyrie Irving . Kai and the Nets were starting to fall apart even before the end of the 2021-22 season, and he was kind of sending feelers that he wanted to reunite with Bron.
Meanwhile, James wasn't shy about talking about Kyrie and how he would love to play with him again. In the background, he allegedly urged the Lakers to deal Russ for Kai. But that Irving trade never happened. Russ returned for his second year and new head coach Darvin Ham demoted him to a bench role, which he accepted.
However, it was obvious by then that he and LBJ weren't on the same page, and it was only a matter of time before Westbrook was going to get shipped out. Finally, Russ was traded before the deadline to the Utah Jazz , who bought out his contract. He finished the season playing for the Clippers .
"Once I got traded. Immediately, to be honest. From that moment, honestly, mentally, I was in a better place," Westbrook said when he was asked in April 2023 when he felt the weight lift off his shoulders.
Russ never publicly called out LeBron about their differences. But actions speak louder than words, and Brodie showed he didn't want to do anything with Bron each time he played the Lakers. If you didn't notice that, look at the picture with Will Smith again and see how Westbrook was the only one who wasn't thrilled to be there.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
