Lakers Phil Handy Talks Discusses Camelo Anthony & Russell Westbrook Hunger At This Point In Their Careers
It has been four seasons since Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony were teammates in Oklahoma City with the Thunder.
Things came full circle when the Los Angeles Lakers traded Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 Draft to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook, according to NBA.com.
“Thank you DC! You welcomed my family and I with open arms from day one,” Westbrook wrote in his social media post. “Everyone from the front office, to the training staff, the coaches, my teammates, and the fans. I’m grateful y’all took a chance on me and supported me every step of the way. I’m blessed to have been a part of such a stand up organization. It didn’t take long to make a home in DC, and I will forever be grateful and appreciative of my experience with the organization. Thank you!”
In free agency, The Los Angeles was able to sign another future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, to a one-year deal after LeBron James recruited him.
“It was a real call, Anthony said — “No bulls–t” — and it centered around a topic they’d talked about turning into a reality for years.”
“‘Yo. I need you.’ Say less. You ain’t gotta say nothing,” Anthony said to him during an appearance on Sunday’s “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast. “I already know what time it is when you — you hit me. Direct. The GM ain’t hit me. You the GM.”
Both Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony are looking to win a championship at this point in their career.
Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy was recently interviewed by Bally Sports’ Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. During the interview, Handy was asked about surprised with how hungry Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony are?
“I don’t know if I was surprised by anything, Scoop. Those dudes – Russ and ‘Melo… I mean, those dudes are Hall of Famers, and you don’t become a Hall of Famer in your career without being a pro. So I’m not surprised at anything because I’ve had the chance to coach some very high-level players in my career, and I think that the common denominator between all of those athletes is that they are supreme workers,” said Handy.
“They work on their craft, work on their bodies, and are all coachable in the sense that they want to be great and want to be at the highest level that they can be at. So it doesn’t surprise me how hungry these guys are and what their mindset is. They’re all locked in into coming here and contending for a championship. That’s just the number #1 mantra.”
Carmelo Anthony is entering year 19 and Russell Westbrook is entering year 13 and they are both hoping that they can help the Lakers bring number 18 back to the Staple Center. The NBA season starts in 21 days.
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
His bylines have appeared in Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Heavy.com, Meta’s Bulletin and One37pm, where he has contributed exclusive interviews, breaking news and cultural insights. At Heavy.com, his work drew more than a million views in just eight months, and at One37pm, it contributed to record-breaking traffic numbers.
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