The Lakers are on edge!
In the NBA game of his Los Angeles Lakers at the San Antonio Spurs, playmaker Russell Westbrook (33) takes on a fan on the field. TV cameras catch the Lakers star yelling at the viewer with an angry look on his face, “Stop dragging my name in the dirt.”
Not the first time Westbrook has had an argument with a fan this season. Lakers megastar LeBron James (37) has also grappled with viewers several times.
The Lakers, who dreamed of the NBA title and suddenly even have to tremble for the playoffs, are thin-skinned like never before.
Westbrook, in particular, who has struggled to achieve anything after moving from Washington to Los Angeles, is a target for frustrated Lakers supporters and is referred to by many as “Westbrick” (Brick in German: Backstein).
The hatred for him is so great that the NBA star’s wife, Nina Westbrook, has even publicly revealed on Twitter that she and her family are being threatened!
She wrote that she “gets harassed daily for playing basketball and is being sent obscenities and death wishes for myself and my family.” With her tweet, she attacks FOX Sports columnist Skip Bayless, who she accuses of fueling sentiment against her husband.
Russell Westbrook addressed his wife’s revelations after the Spurs game: “Right now, she’s reached a point, and my family has reached a point where it’s really taking a toll on them. And it’s just very unfortunate for me personally because it’s just a game. It’s just a game. That’s not the be-all and end-all when it comes to basketball. I don’t mind the criticism of misses and shots. But the moment my name is shamed, it becomes a problem.”
Westbrook continues: “I don’t even want to bring my kids to this game because I don’t want my kids to hear their dad being scolded.”
The Athletic now reveals that even the Lakers coaches are said to have pushed for Westbrook to go by trade. The deal fell through in the end. Therefore, his place in the starting lineup should now wobble a lot if he doesn’t play better again…
Lakers legend Magic Johnson says Westbrook’s signing “could go down as the worst deal in club history”.
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