One-Time Lakers Guard Makes Bold Claim About Russell Westbrook Era

Courtney Tate | 5 Hours Ago

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Detroit Piston guard and former Los Angeles Laker Cole Swider gives Denver Nuggets’ Rusell Westbrook his flowers. The two were teammates on the Lakers in 2022-2023, and Swider says Westbrook really made a positive impact on him during his short stint in L.A.

During the 2022-2023 season, Swider spent lots of time with NBA superstars including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Westbrook.

Although Westbrook’s time as a Laker was short-lived, having been traded mid-season, Swider says he observed the way Westbrook managed adversity and learned a lot from him while he was there.

"I would say Russ. Just the professionalism he brought every single day. He's just a great teammate. Really just showed me what it was like in the NBA. Especially being a guy who was receiving a lot of hate at the time. How to deal with that, how to overcome that and just to continue to get better every day."

Despite the challenges Westbrook dealt with as a Laker, he’s been able to have a couple of fresh starts with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets. He’s currently averaging 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest while shooting 40.4% from the field and 32.6% from the 3-point range in his first 24 games with Denver.

As for Swider, his journey in the NBA has been a unique experience. He went undrafted in 2022, later signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Under those terms, he was able to play for both the NBA and the team’s NBA G-League affiliate to further develop his skills and ability.

He spent the majority of the season with South Bay, where his shooting ability from long-range stood out the most. He was called up to the main roster several times over the course of the year before moving on to the Miami Heat.

While on the Heat, he split his time between the G-league and the main roster before finally being signed by the Detroit Pistons on another two-way contract. Swider has competed twice now with the Detroit Pistons, while further developing in the G-League with the team’s affiliate, Motor City Cruise.

Swider is currently in Orlando with many other former and current NBA players, competing in the G-League Winter Showcase. In the most recent matchup against the Texas Legends, Swider led the Cruise with a game-high 24 points. He’s demonstrating lots of potential this season averaging 22.4 points per game on 48.7% shooting.

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