Gotham Chopra Sheds New Light On Russell Westbrook In SHOWTIME Doc: ‘People Think He’s Raw Emotion, There’s A Lot Of Layers There’

(CBS) – From his archetypal time successful the NBA Russell Westbrook has been a lightning rod. The explosive defender seems to ever beryllium astatine the halfway of attention. Whether it’s for a item dunk, a one-of-a-kind outfit, a record-breaking performance, oregon a tense property league “Beastbrook” is ne'er acold from the spotlight. Who is the antheral down the high-flying, trash-talking, snarling on-court persona though? That is the nonstop question that inspired the caller SHOWTIME documentary Passion Play: Russell Westbrook.  

CBS‘ Matt Weiss spoke to Passion Play‘s Co-Director Gotham Chopra to sermon what helium learned astir Westbrook beyond the court, the communal denominator among elite athletes and surviving successful Los Angeles arsenic a Celtics’ fan.

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MW- Hey Gotham, bully to spot you antheral and excited to speech astir Passion Play: Russell Westbrook disposable to watercourse present connected SHOWTIME. You’ve worked with a batch of legendary athletes from Kobe to Simone Biles to Usain Bolt and evidently Russell has been a immense fig successful the NBA since helium debuted. What made you privation to enactment with him specifically?

GC- Russell’s benignant of been this enigmatic quality right, he’s been prolific connected the tribunal and erstwhile going backmost to his days successful OKC he’s arguably the champion oregon astir diversion constituent defender we’ve seen the past 20 years. He had this unthinkable tally determination and yet, I consciousness like, different than this benignant of cantankerous feline we don’t cognize overmuch beyond that.

So look, I’m a fan. I emotion basketball, astir apt my favourite sport. I conscionable thought he’s an absorbing quality to benignant of get underneath and truly recognize a small spot more; similar what drives this strength that you’re ever seeing. I got to cognize him and it turns retired the timing was benignant of fascinating.

Russ happens to unrecorded 15 minutes down the thoroughfare from maine truthful arsenic we were each forced to enactment location I got to really walk a batch of clip with him distant from the court. That was my full volition was to recognize who this feline is beyond the court.

MW- Is determination immoderate commonality you recovered betwixt each these legendary athletes, thing that they stock successful common?

GC- Yeah, of people there’s these God fixed gifts. These are conscionable incredibly talented radical but I would besides accidental is similar there’s this relentlessness to each of them. I mean they each person antithetic approaches but I’d accidental there’s conscionable relentlessness.

In the mediate of a pandemic Russ was uncovering ways to spell to his aged precocious schoolhouse gym each time to enactment out. I deliberation sometimes radical are looking for this similar truly astir esoteric prime that binds each these radical but truly it’s conscionable the hours successful the gym.

MW- And what did you larn astir him arsenic a antheral that the mean NBA instrumentality mightiness not know?

GC- He’s going to hatred that I said this but there’s a softness there. As aggravated arsenic helium is connected the court, erstwhile he’s astatine location he’s a father, he’s got young kids, he’s precise present, he’s saccharine and each that with his kids. He has a existent aforesaid consciousness astir his household successful particular.

He mislaid a erstwhile precocious schoolhouse teammate and his champion person Khelcey Barrs and helium virtually wears it astir his neck, helium writes it connected sneakers. Life has meaning to him and helium carries that with him; helium truly lives.

I deliberation there’s a extent determination which I deliberation radical don’t spot due to the fact that they’re utilized to conscionable seeing him being cantankerous with the media oregon whoever and they don’t needfully recognize him. People deliberation he’s  earthy emotion and intensity, that he’s 1 speed, but really there’s a batch of layers there.

MW- I’m gladsome you brought up the emotion due to the fact that thing precise absorbing I noticed successful the trailer is each the words that flash crossed the screen. There was chaos, rage, emotion each these antithetic emotions. What bash you deliberation drives him the most?

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GC- I deliberation helium understands what helium means to his community, to his family, to his friends. I deliberation that drives him. There’s thing astir him that’s bigger than basketball, you know? He feels similar he’s an creator and you’ve benignant of seen that with his manner and worldly similar that.

Basketball happens to beryllium his canvas and these emotions determination done him and I deliberation that’s what truly drives him. He wants to bash thing different, helium wants to BE different. I deliberation that became similar portion of his arsenal was this quest to similar to beryllium different.

It’s absorbing due to the fact that I’ve worked with a batch of athletes and conscionable frankly winning championships truly drives them. That’s surely the lawsuit for Russell. He had a changeable aboriginal connected erstwhile helium was with OKC but past it didn’t hap and past KD got traded and James near and each that. You tin beryllium astonishing but winning is inactive the relation of a team.

It’s absorbing to ticker him present due to the fact that he’s travel into a civilization and a mounting with a squad wherever helium has a existent shot. I deliberation he’s going to person to reorient his crippled again and that’ll beryllium absorbing to ticker however helium adjusts.

MW- Perfect segue to my past question present present that he’s backmost location successful LA, he’s a Laker, what volition we spot from this latest mentation of Russ playing alongside guys similar LeBron and AD?

GC- It’s absorbing the nighttime helium was traded I went to his location really and helium was determination with the remainder of his family, his kids, and helium was sitting determination precocious astatine nighttime having champagne with his wife, Nina. He wasn’t talking astir offensively he’s going to acceptable successful oregon what’s it going to beryllium similar to play with that bunch, helium was talking astir his kids getting to enactment successful schoolhouse and getting to spot their grandparents each day.

I was reminded successful that infinitesimal he’s a quality being. He’s not conscionable a commercialized spot oregon an plus connected your phantasy team, he’s an absorbing quality being.

I bash deliberation coming location is simply a large woody for him and playing connected the squad that helium grew up watching and playing successful the location that Magic and Kobe And Kareem built. I deliberation that is truly meaningful to him. I deliberation he’s going to person to set his crippled though. Russ has ever been enactment the shot successful his hands and upwind him up and fto him spell and different players play disconnected of him.

That’s going to beryllium precise hard to bash with LeBron James, it’s LeBron you know? He’s 1 of the apical 3 players ever to play the game. I deliberation he’s going to set but I deliberation he’s besides a truly astute hoops subordinate and I deliberation he’ll fig it out.

This is simply a squad that astir apt is looking astatine the playoffs, close past the regular season. This is hard for maine to admit arsenic a Celtics instrumentality but I deliberation he’ll fig it retired and I deliberation LeBron volition fig it out. They’re some hoops geniuses and they’ll beryllium a unit to beryllium reckoned with eventually.

MW- Well the documentary is fantastic, it’s refreshing to spot Russ successful a antithetic airy and it’s been large catching up with you Gotham. Thank you truthful overmuch and enactment harmless wearing Celtics cogwheel astir LA!

GC- [Laughs] Thank you, instrumentality care.

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Passion Play: Russell Westbrook is disposable to stream unrecorded and on-demand present with SHOWTIME.