Russell Westbrook, wife on fan harassment: 'I don't even want to bring my kids to the game'
Russell Westbrook hasn't had the best time with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. He's struggled to fit in with the rest of the team and has had issues with coaching. He's far from the only problem on the 28-36 Lakers, but Westbrook has been a convenient scapegoat for angry fans.
That scapegoating has cost Westbrook and his family dearly. His wife, Nina, recently revealed some of her feelings on Twitter, and her husband backed her up following the Lakers' 117-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
Nina Westbrook speaks out
Nina first tweeted about the name-calling and taunting on Thursday, specifically calling out Skip Bayless for calling her husband "Westbrick," a name that's caught on with fans.
I’m tired you you @RealSkipBayless calling my husband out of his name. It is extremely childish. That is my name as well, and many other peoples name. You’re disrespectful, and I’m extremely offended by your behavior. You should apologize.
— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 4, 2022
It should come as a surprise to no one that Bayless didn't apologize. But even if he had, it would have still been too late to stop the name "Westbrick" from being used by angry fans. It's that kind of relentless name-calling that's taking a toll on Westbrook, Nina, and their three kids. On Monday, she continued to criticize Bayless for harping on her husband.
NAME CALLING or STEREOTYPING: Giving a person or an idea a bad label by using an easy to remember pejorative name. This is used to make us reject and condemn a person or idea without examining what the label really means.
— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 7, 2022
It’s very important to understand the difference between name calling and “telling one’s truth.” It’s even more important when you have a platform and a network to share your “truths” with millions of people. It requires a certain level of responsibility.
— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 7, 2022
If you are a public figure, you have to be responsible for the type of example you set. Unfortunately, you must keep in mind the consequences of your behavior.
— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 7, 2022
When I’m being harassed on a daily basis over basketball games, and I’m having obscenity’s and death wishes for me and my family sent my way because you’re expressing your “truth”, it’s hard for me to get on board with that.
— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 7, 2022
As far as my husband goes, he is his own person. I don’t need to defend him. I love and support him through all of the unwarranted hate and negativity that he receives. I speak up and share my experience and knowledge for those who do not have a voice.
— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 7, 2022
My hope is that the amazing and talented players that come after him don’t have to be subjected to this type of shaming, name-calling, and public scrutiny for playing the game that they love.
xx— Nina Westbrook (@ninawestbrook) March 7, 2022
Westbrook stands by his wife
During Monday night's loss to the Spurs, Westbrook was caught on camera arguing with a fan, asking the fan to stop disrespecting his name by calling him "Westbrick."
Russ wasn't having the disrespect 💯
(via @s_universal) pic.twitter.com/s4Vc0WqlUT— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 8, 2022
After the game, Westbrook sat in front of the media wearing a necklace with charms representing the first names of his wife and children ("N" for Nina, "N" for 4-year-old Noah, and "S" and "J" for his 3-year-old twin daughters Skye and Jordan), and opened up about the name-calling, spending more than four minutes defending his wife and discussing how it's affected his family.
"I stand behind my wife with how she's feeling...it's reached a point where it's really weighing on my family." @russwest44 shares his thoughts on the comments made by his wife saying she and her family are "harassed on a daily basis". pic.twitter.com/ize5TLvVnb
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 8, 2022
"I 100 percent stand behind my wife and how she's feeling because it's not just about this year. Right now, she's reached a point, and my family has reached a point to where it's really weighing on them. And it's very unfortunate for me personally because it's just a game. It's just a game. It's not the end-all, be-all and when it comes to basketball, I don't mind the criticism of missing and making shots. But the moment it becomes where my name is getting shamed, it becomes an issue.
"I've kind of let it go in the past because it never really bothered me. But it really kind of hit me the other day. Me and my wife were at teacher-parent conferences for my son. And the teacher told me, 'Noah, he's so proud of his last name. He writes it everywhere. He writes it on everything. He tells everybody and walks around and says, 'I'm Westbrook.' ... And I kind of sat there in shock, and it hit me, like, 'Damn. I can no longer allow people — saying Westbrick, for an example — shaming my name.
"My name is a legacy for my kids. It's a name that means, not just to me, but to my wife, to my mom, my dad, the ones that kind of paved the way for me, and that's just one example. That kind of hit myself and my wife in a place where it's not great, man. And I think a lot of times, I let it slide, but now it's time to put a stop to that and put on notice that there is a difference. We need to make sure it's understood. And every time I do hear it now, I will make sure that I address it and make sure I nip that in the bud."
Westbrook emphasized that it's just a game, and even though it's his job, it's not his whole life. But the name-calling and taunting has affected not just his life, but his family's life.
"It affects them even going to games. Like, 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 other names for no reason because he's playing the game that he loves. And it's gotten so bad where my family don't even want to go to home games, to any games. Because of not just the media across the globe using their platforms to constantly shame, shame, shame me ... and it's just super unfortunate, man. And it's super upsetting to me and I'm at a point where I'm going to continue to address it. It's just unfortunate."
