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When Russell Westbrook was traded to the Lakers in the summer of 2021, the hopes were high that the team will climb again to the top of the NBA.

Instead, it was a tough season both for the former league MVP and his new team. The 33-year-old point guard received lots of criticism for his struggles on the court while the Lakers failed to make the postseason.

In a recent interview Russ was asked if he had to fight to keep his confidence last season. According to him, the confidence was never an issue. What bothered him is what his family had to deal with.

Via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

“No, I didn’t have to fight that,” Westbrook said. “I had to fight my response on how it affects the people close to me. To me, that was the important part. Confidence is not something I lack. Yes, there were times last season that I wanted to play better — that I should’ve played better — but my confidence never wavers. Having bad games is part of the NBA, and I understand that.”

Last season Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 34.3 minutes per game for Los Angeles.