After spending weeks acting as if he easily deflected the fan fury over his suboptimal play on the court, mercurial NBA star Russell Westbrook now admits that many of the verbal bullets have penetrated his armor.
The pugnacious point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, who has battled the media and fans throughout his storied career, notified the public that he has grown weary of the incessant and tortuous harassment to himself and his family. Now that the public persecution has allegedly degenerated to death threats, the Westbrooks announced they’ve had enough.
Westbrook’s wife, Nina, was the first to address the irresponsible and often liquor-fueled obscenities being hurled at her and her family daily.
Nina Westbrook also blames “Undisputed” co-host Skip Bayless, whose often inflammatory rhetoric regarding Westbrook’s play has been tantamount to throwing kerosene on the out-of-control blaze.
Westbrook has been the object of fan ire since he landed in Los Angeles to try to help LeBron James capture another title. But he has struggled most of the year with subpar shooting and turnovers, and the tidal wave of hate is taking its toll on the Westbrooks.
“It’s really the shaming of my name, the shaming of my character, the shaming of who I am as a person. To me, it’s not warranted. I haven’t done anything to anybody, I haven’t hurt anyone, I haven’t done anything but play basketball [in] a way that people may not like. This is just a game, this is not my entire life. I think that is the ultimate thing that’s been for me. I don’t like to harp on it, I just kinda want it out there,” he said, according to ESPN.
Westbrook has chosen to shield his family from the lunacy that pops off at home games in downtown Los Angeles.
“But once it starts to affect my family, my wife … even today, my mom said something about it today and it affects them even going to games. I don’t even want to bring my kids to the game because I don’t want them to hear people calling their dad nicknames and out of their name for no reason because he’s playing the game that he loves,” Westbrook added.
Continue to the page to view Westbrook’s entire thoughts on the matter after Monday’s game.
