“First of all, that’s unprofessional,” Charles Barkley said. “Part of our job is to talk to the press. We don’t make $30-40 million just to play basketball. People are going to interrupt you when you have dinner. You have to sign autographs. You have to take pictures. Some of the other stuff is talking to the press. Russ has got to do better. Russ is a great dude. And just because a reporter says something bad about you, you don’t get the right to just say ‘next question.’ ”<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — After the Warriors bested the Clippers 113-105 in Sunday’s Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead, Steve Kerr joked about handling future press conferences with “next question,” a la Russell Westbrook. Then he got serious. On Westbrook’s approach, Kerr summarized, “I think it’s dangerous for the league.” “Next question” is already a favored joke catchphrase around the NBA, with players and coaches winking at Westbrook’s curt handling of The Daily Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel. Just before Game 4, Clippers Doc Rivers joked, “I could say ‘next question,’ but I’m not going to do that,” in response to a reporter’s query. Westbrook, whose loud play and wardrobe so often command attention, made waves after a Game 3 victory over the Blazers on Friday with tactical silence.<doc-sep>Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook has been the topic of much conversation during these NBA playoffs, and for the most part, it hasn't been regarding his play. The issue? Westbrook's responses — or, non-responses — to questions asked by The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel during his postgame media availability sessions. Westbrook has been stonewalling Tramel for quite some time (Tramel wrote an article about it earlier this month, saying Westbrook wants "control" and that his issue is "with media in general"), but the national spotlight is shining much brighter now that it's the postseason and players are asked questions in a press conference setting, which is often broadcast live. Westbrook slightly altered his "next question" approach following his team's Game 4 loss Sunday to go down 3-1 in their first-round series with Portland, but his message remained the same. The league hasn't issued a fine or discipline to Westbrook, as he's still performing his media obligations by showing up, not using inappropriate language or criticizing officials, and so on. But the optics, as many members of the NBA community see it, aren't good. "I just feel that we have to be very careful as a league," Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per The Athletic. "We're in a good place right now. Very popular. Fans love the game, the social dynamic, the fashion. But more than anything they love the connection they feel to the players. I think it's important for the players to understand that it’s a key dynamic to this league. I don't think this is a healthy dynamic, for this league, for any player, any team, any local media, any national media. "It's all part of the business," Kerr said. "You've got to feed information to the fans. You don't have to give a great answer, but it's dangerous when you go down that path of no communication because one of the reasons people like the league right now is we have a lot of great players, really good guys who handle themselves well. So don't kill that. You've got to keep that going. That's a big part of the business." The NBA on TNT crew — ex-players Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and sportscaster Ernie Johnson — also weighed in on the topic during a segment on Sunday. "First of all, that's unprofessional," Barkley said. "Part of our job is to talk to the press. We don't make $30-40 million just to play basketball. People are gonna interrupt you when you have dinner. You have to sign autographs. You have to take pictures. Some of the other stuff is talking to the press. Russ has got to do better. Russ is a great dude. And just because a reporter says something bad about you, you don't get the right to just say 'next question.' " Smith then shared a personal account of a similar situation during his playing days with the Houston Rockets. "There was a reporter, Fran Blinebury, and he had wrote an article, and I didn't appreciate the article," Smith said. "So I decided I wouldn't talk to him. I said, 'I didn't appreciate the article.' Maybe six months into it, I would not talk to this guy, and then I realized I was wrong. I did realize I was wrong, in this sense: It's his job to write his opinion. Because I don't agree with his opinion doesn't mean I don't have the right to talk to him. I can then express my opinion, and then I can have it out." O'Neal took a different stance. "I'm gonna disagree with both of y'all, because I was Russell Westbrook — sensitive, and if I don't want to talk to you, I don't have to talk to you," O'Neal said. "Our job is to talk to the media. I don't have to talk to one particular guy. Media is media members like four or five. ... A lot of guys (in the media) try to get personal and try to be cute and try to get their followers ... so if you're sticking to the facts, 'Hack-a-Shaq, he can't shoot,' I ain't got no problem. But once you try to get personal and start doing that, man to man, I don't have to talk to you as a man if I don't want to talk to you." Westbrook and the Thunder head back to Portland for Game 5 on Tuesday, and a loss would mark Oklahoma City's third consecutive first-round playoff exit.<doc-sep>Zach Beeker/Getty Images The Oklahoma City Thunder conducted their exit interviews on Thursday following a 4-1 series loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and as usual, all eyes and ears were on Russell Westbrook. The point guard spoke on a number of topics during the press conference, including the improvements he wants to make this offseason, the criticism he receives and his relationship with Paul George and head coach Billy Donovan: Backup guard Raymond Felton told reporters he doesn't appreciate how much scrutiny and criticism Westbrook faces. "I think it's stupid," he said, per Royce Young of ESPN.com. "I don't like it." George also took to the podium to discuss Westbrook and Donovan and provide a slight injury update on his shoulder: Donovan, meanwhile, put the emphasis on improving going forward. "We did some good things and now have to look and determine where we can improve," he said. "You go through these disappointments and go through struggles; I think you find out more about what you have to do to get better." Nevertheless, there will be questions this offseason in Oklahoma City. Video Play Button Videos you might like Is Donovan's job safe? How much blame does general manager Sam Presti receive for failing to build a roster capable of getting past the first round? Can the team continue to build around Westbrook, who has yet to win a playoff series since the departure of Kevin Durant in July 2016 and was thoroughly outplayed by Portland star Damian Lillard in this year's playoffs? It will be fascinating to see how the Thunder answer those questions. The 2018-19 campaign was undoubtedly a disappointment after the excitement that followed last offseason, when George re-signed with the team. How the Thunder respond a year later will be a major storyline in what promises to be an intriguing NBA offseason.<doc-sep>
Zach Beeker/Getty Images Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes Russell Westbrook's handling of the media could lead to problems down the line. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard has refused to answer questions from Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman and only responded with "next question" during his postgame interview Friday: "I think it's dangerous for the league," Kerr said of the approach. Although Westbrook didn't violate any league rules during the exchange, Kerr is concerned about the impact it will have on fans: "I just feel that we have to be very careful as a league. We're in a good place right now. Very popular. Fans love the game, the social dynamic, the fashion. But more than anything they love the connection they feel to the players. I think it's important for the players to understand that it's a key dynamic to this league. I don't think this is a healthy dynamic, for this league, for any player, any team, any local media, any national media." Westbrook's problems with Tramel date back to 2015, and the All-Star has refused to answer questions from the reporter. Tramel explained earlier this month that this won't stop him from doing his job at press conferences. "I keep asking, with no hope of getting an answer, because the media shouldn't give in to Westbrook's desire to control everything," Tramel said. Although Kerr agrees that Westbrook should be more open, his reasoning is based on pleasing the audience. Video Play Button Videos you might like "You've got to feed information to the fans," the coach said. The NBA is a star-driven league, but a disconnect between those players and the fans could hurt its popularity.