Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook opens up on how incessant taunting from Lakers fans is taking a toll on his family.
When Los Angeles Lakers fans booed loudly during the team’s 28-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Russell Westbrook said the booing does not bother him and he wouldn’t take it home to his wife and children.
While Westbrook may not take the negativity home to his family, it has proven to find its way into his family life and affect his family members. As the Lakers slip into an even bigger deficit with a 117-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Westbrook reveals he’s had enough of the booing and taunting for his family’s sake.
“The shaming of my name, the shaming of my character, the shaming of who I am as a person to me is not warranted,” Westbrook said. “I haven’t done anything to anybody, I haven’t hurt anyone, I haven’t done anything but play basketball a way that people may not like. This is just a game. This is not my entire life.”
Westbrook divulged on how the taunting from his own fanbase has gotten so bad that he doesn’t want his wife, his mother or his kids to be exposed to the negativity that is constantly directed his way.
“My family doesn’t even want to go to home games, to any game, because the media across the globe uses their platforms to shame, shame, shame me,” Westbrook said. “It’s super unfortunate, and it’s super upsetting to me, and I’m at a point where I’m going to continue to address it.”
Russell Westbrook speaks out against taunting by Lakers fans
Westbrook is choosing to speak about this now because his wife, Nina Westbrook, has been speaking out about the harassment she’s received from Lakers Nation and even Skip Bayless.
With Russell Westbrook speaking out about how this affected his family, basketball fans came to his defense.
It’s easy for online fans and even in-person Lakers fans to troll Westbrook for “ruining their team”, but the harassment isn’t what’s bothering a steely professional athlete like Westbrook. Basketball criticism is always fair, but the verbal harassment and death threats that go above and beyond never are.