Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann told teammate Paul George on George’s podcast that playing with Russell Westbrook last NBA season was “crazy.”
Mann grew up a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder because of Westbrook, so it was surreal for him to be teammates with the player he grew up watching and rooting for on the Clippers.
“It was crazy for me,” Mann said about playing with Westbrook. “Just because I grew up watching him a lot too. I was just a big fan. I follow OKC on Facebook to this day. I still go on Facebook and I got OKC notifications popping up. No, I’m being dead serious, fan page I used to follow because of Russ.
“So it’s just crazy being on the same team as him. Great teammate. I remember our first or second game together, he got subbed out and he stood up and coached me the whole second quarter…didn’t sit down one time.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Westbrook signed a two-year, nearly $8 million contract with the Clippers this summer in free agency. Clippers president Lawrence Frank was impressed with Westbrook’s urgency, intensity and professionalism last season.
“In the two months Russ spent with the team, he was everything we hoped he would be and more,” Frank said on July 7. “He made a huge impact on the court with his play and off it with the urgency, intensity, and professionalism he brings to the gym on a daily basis.”
Westbrook began the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was traded to the Utah Jazz at the February trade deadline and waived by Utah. The UCLA product joined the Clippers as a free agent after getting waived by the Jazz and averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 21 games with Los Angeles.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
The Clippers faced the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Kawhi Leonard only played in Games 1 and 2 and Paul George missed the entire series, so Westbrook’s usage rate went up. The NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 boards and 7.4 assists in the Suns series, but it wasn’t enough to help the Clippers win, as Phoenix won the series in five games.
The Clippers went 11-10 with Westbrook in the lineup last season. It will be fascinating to see how many games Los Angeles wins next season with Leonard, George and Westbrook playing together.
Mann put up 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Clippers last season in 81 games. He shot 51.9% overall and 38.9% from 3.
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