An emotional Russell Westbrook said the abuse he was recieving from fans had made him not want to bring his family to NBA games anymore.
“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,” the Los Angeles Lakers guard told reporters today.
“It’s gotten so bad where my family don’t even want to go to home games.”
READ MORE: What Ricky Ponting wishes he told Shane Warne
READ MORE: Judo federation removes titles from Vladimir Putin
READ MORE: Bill Lawry remembers Shane Warne, pays tribute to Rod Marsh
The abuse levelled at the former MVP prompted his wife, Nina, to take to social media today to urge people away from shaming and name-calling.
https://twitter.com/ninawestbrook/status/1500915388653064192
Westbrook said he was “100 per cent” behind his wife’s comments.
“It’s not just about this year,” he said.
“She’s reached a point, and my family has reached a point, where it’s really weighing on them.
“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,” he said before launching into a story about his son, Noah.
Westbrook said he and his wife were at parent-teacher night at his son’s school, and the teacher told him how proud Noah was to be a Westbrook.
“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’.
“I kind of sat there in shock and it hit me like, ‘Damn. I can no longer allow people shaming, shaming my name’.
“Every time I do hear it now I’ll make sure I address it, and nip it in the bud.”
Westbrook’s struggles since joining the Lakers this season have been well-documented – but he said that didn’t justify personal attacks.
“I haven’t done anything to anybody, I haven’t hurt anyone. I haven’t done anything but play basketball – in a way people may not like – but this is just a game. This is not my entire life,” he said.
The Lakers are currently ninth in the western conference, and look to be facing the prospect of the play-in tournament in order to have a decent run in the NBA playoffs, which start next month.