“I’m not accustomed to sitting down for long stretches” - Russell Westbrook reacts to his benching in crunch moments

After the LA Lakers game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Russell Westbrook was diagnosed with back pain after featuring for 26 minutes on the court. The point guard registered a 10-point double-double, leading the team in rebounds (10), but was benched towards the end of the fourth quarter as his team went on to suffer a 131-116 blowout loss.

Due to back discomfort, he sat out the Lakers' last outing against the Portland Trail Blazers, which ended in a 2-point loss as LA went down 107-105. His availability for the Lakers' next outing against the Golden State Warriors has been announced as questionable.

Reacting to the back injury he suffered in the game against the Bucks, Westbrook stated that he is not used to being kept on the bench for 'long stretches', and attributes that to the stiffness he is now experiencing.

"It comes and goes. I'm not accustomed to sitting down for long stretches and getting up and then like moving quickly. It kind of stiffens up a little bit."

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Russell Westbrook misses his first game for the LA Lakers in the 2021-22 NBA season

Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Terry Rozier #3 of the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of the game at Spectrum Center on January 28, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Russell Westbrook made his way onto the LA Lakers roster on Aug. 6, 2021, having been traded from the Washington Wizards. The deal was by far the biggest and most talked about of the offseason, and rightfully so.

The man known as "Mr. Triple Double," was set to team up with the best player of his generation: LeBron James. The union promised to be a fantastic one as the Lakers were keen on bouncing back after they suffered an early exit in the playoffs last season.

Westbrook made his debut in the opening game of the season against the Golden State Warriors. The game saw him feature for 35 minutes, posting eight points, five rebounds, four assists and four turnovers as the Lakers lost by a 7-point differential.

In retrospect, one could look back at that outing as a precursor of what was to come, in what has been a largely disappointing season thus far for Westbrook and the Lakers.

Russell Westbrook was named in the starting five for that game against the Warriors and has been a perennial starter ever since. Of the Lakers' 56 games played, Westbrook has appeared in all but one, as he was out of their most recent game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to the aforementioned back injury.

In his 55 appearances for the Lakers, he has helped them win 26 games, and has been on the losing end 29 times, recording 23 double-doubles and 9 triple-doubles along the way.