After his wife took to social media to detail the criticism and even death wishes her family has received, Russell Westbrook elaborated on the harassment they have been subject to in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The derision is nothing new for the 14-year veteran, nine-time All-Star and former leagueMVP, who said he and his wife are speaking out for two reasons: to defend the honor of his family name and to protect his children.
After the Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, Russell Westbrook said he stood behind his wife and how she was feeling. It becomes an issue when my name gets shamed.
I have let it go in the past because it never bothered me. It really hit me the other day. My wife and I attended teacher-parent conferences for my son. The teacher told me that Noah was proud of his last name. He writes it all over. He writes it down. He tells everybody and walks around, and I was in shock. I can no longer allow people to insult my name.
The family has three children, including a 4-year old son, Noah.
The Lakers overhauled their roster in the off-season and have struggled this season. L.A. was one of the favorites to win it all, but Monday's loss dropped the Lakers eight games.
He referred to the condescending nickname that makes the round online seemingly whenever he has a poor performance. It is a name that means a lot to me, but also to my wife, my mom, and my dad.
As the highest-paid player on the Lakers this season, making $44 million, it has been a target for many fans frustrated with how inconsistent the Lakers have been. He averages 18.1 points on 43.4% from the field, 28.4% from 3 and 67% from the foul line, to go with 7.2 assists and 4.0 turnovers per game.
In the third quarter on Monday, with both teams lining up at the free throw line for a Spurs attempt, Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook was captured on a courtside attendee's phone shouting at a fan.
If that happens in the future, he will involve himself in similar fashion.
I let it slide a lot. He said it was time to put a stop to that and put it on notice. We need to make sure it is understood. I will make sure that I address it and nip it in the bud whenever I hear it.
The treatment from fans has caused his family to avoid going to his games.
He said that he doesn't want his kids to hear people calling their fathers names at games. It has gotten so bad that my family doesn't want to go to home games. It is upsetting to me.
I am at a point where I will continue to address it. It is just unfortunate.
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