Russell Westbrook Says He Will Be a Better Player When He Returns

OKC Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook spoke publicly today for the first time since he went down with a season-ending knee injury. Westbrook is doing all he can to help his team from the sidelines, and says he’ll be better when he hits the court again next season. Per the Oklahoman: “How difficult was it to make the decision to shut it down for the season? ‘It’s tough, man. I don’t want to let my team down. I want to compete. I love playing. I want to play in every game as long as I’m able to and able to walk. But this time I wasn’t able to walk and run like I was supposed to.’ […] How hard has it been for you to have to watch the team play? ‘It’s tough, man. But as a point guard and a leader of this team my job is to find a way where I can help my teammates, the coaching staff and the organization. They’ve been a big supporter of me. And my job is to give it back. Help them out as much as I can and give my input.’ […] What is your timetable for when you can start doing basketball things? ‘Not sure. I just know for the first four to five weeks I’m on them crutches. And when I get off the crutches then we kind of sit down and see what the timetable is for me.’ […] Are you giving any input in practices? ‘Definitely. That’s my job moving forward. Just kind of sit back and (figure out) where I can help my team. Try to throw in input at halftime and whenever I can, in film, during practice or whenever they need me to.’ […] Everyone knows how competitive you are. Hard to imagine you’ll be even more competitive after this. But what’s your outlook when you do come back next season? ‘Come back better. Come back better. A better player. Mentally, I think that’s the biggest thing. Mentally it’s going to be a big step for myself and moving forward with this team.'”