Lakers Coach Frank Vogel On Russell Westbrook: "He's Desperate."

Loos Angeles Times

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As a 9x All-Star, 9x All-NBA player, former MVP, and 2x Scoring Champ, Russell Westbrook has a resume that most players dream about.

Still, there remains one big stain in his ledger: the lack of an NBA Championship.

Through 13 years in the NBA, he has yet to raise the Larry O'Brien trophy, despite playing alongside Kevin Durant, Paul George, James Harden, and Bradley Beal.

And now, on the cusp of his first season as a Laker, Russ is ready to change that. According to head coach Frank Vogel, the guy is desperate to win.

“You want as much firepower as you can get to battle what we’re about to battle and when you get in these playoff wars, you need firepower. This guy is the ultimate competitor, he’s desperate, very much wants to be in that position to win a championship,” Vogel said, via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation. “That’s the one thing he’s not accomplished in his career and he’s in position to do that.”

Interestingly, Vogel uttered a similar statement earlier this month, when he told Nitecast how he was feeling about having Russ on the team.

“Well, the biggest thing is that I no longer have to be afraid to play him (laughs). That’s the No. 1 thing. I’m excited to have him on my side… He’s just the ultimate competitor. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win basketball games, and I’m happy to have that on my side,” Vogel said when asked what he’s most excited about having Westbrook.

Westbrook has always worn his heart on his sleeve. During games, and throughout the season, the guy maintains such an extreme and passionate playstyle, always giving it his all and making his love for the game known.

Considering that this season gives him his best chance to win a title in years, we can expect to see a whole new side of him over these next few months.

It will be quite a thing to see.