The vast majority of interactions between athletes and media members are filled with disdain. Even when questions and answers take on the most innocuous forms possible, there are often undercurrents of mutual condescension between those who ask and those who respond. A press conference filled with utterances of "talk about" and "just played hard" isn't exactly kind just because it's professional. Both parties are playing roles, not interacting in any meaningful way.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook has never shown much interest in that sort of post-game professionalism. The three-time All-Star left a post-game scrum in disdain two seasons ago,