Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley ironically change tune about Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers had to undergo many roster changes during the season in order to create the final product that Lakers fans love today. This final product helped catapult the team into the playoffs and into the second round against the Golden State Warriors.

There is still a lot of basketball left to play but pundits are finally taking the Lakers seriously as a legitimate NBA Finals contender. Rob Pelinka has done an excellent job of building out a deep and talented roster, even though he continues to be snubbed among his peers.

Two prominent players that Los Angeles ended up shipping out were Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. Westbrook simply had to be traded if the Lakers wanted any chance of contending and the team pulled off a great deal for Westbrook.

Beverley, meanwhile, was flipped alongside a second-round pick for Mo Bamba, who doesn’t even play for the team in the playoffs. While the team hasn’t gotten much out of Bamba, the team still didn’t lose much in trading Beverley.

Both Beverley and Westbrook weren’t shy about letting their feelings be known about the Lakers. Beverley outwardly said it was his goal to knock the Lakers out of playoff contention with the Chicago Bulls. Westbrook said that a weight was instantly lifted off his shoulders as soon as he was traded.

Now that the Lakers look like a legitimate contender, both Westbrook and Beverley have suddenly changed their tune about their former team.

Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley want rings from Lakers if they win the NBA Championship

It is a common practice for a team to give rings out to any player that played for them during the season in which they won it all. It does not go down as an official championship for Westbrook or Beverley in their career accolades but they do get a shiny piece of jewelry to display at home.

A lot of Lakers fans would argue that these two don’t deserve a ring. Westbrook was obviously making the team worse and was more than happy to finally leave. Beverley was literally trying to stop the Lakers from being able to achieve this goal.

Neither Beverley nor Westbrook has won a championship in their careers (Westbrook has won just one playoff series since Kevin Durant left him), so we cannot blame them for trying to jump on any chance they can get to get a ring.

But that does not mean fans have to be happy about it or agree with the decision. At least fans have the irony of both Westbrook and Beverley rooting for their former team now that they are watching at home from the couch like the rest of us.