Warriors' Stephen Curry Supports Lakers' Russell Westbrook After Harassment from Fans

Stephen Curry supports Russell Westbrook as he deals with fans.

Curry told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he was proud of Westbrook for keeping his cool despite the criticism he received for his play with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When we played them in L.A., I told him how he had handled the whole year. The beast is nature. They build you up to break you down. Those who have done amazing things in this league know what that means. I'm proud of the way he conducts himself and I'm there for him.

During Monday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Westbrook got into a back-and-forth with a fan after being called "Westbrick", and told the fan to not disrespect his last name. The derisive nickname became a hot-button topic when Westbrook's wife called Skip Bayless disrespectful and a bully for calling her husband.

Russ told reporters he thinks the nickname is an attempt to shame him.

I am 100 percent behind my wife and how she is feeling. She has reached a point, and my family has reached a point, where it is weighing on them. It's very unfortunate for me because it's just a game. This is not a real game. This is not an end-all. I don't mind the criticism of missing and making shots in basketball. It becomes an issue when my name gets shamed.

I've let it go in the past because it never bothered me, but it hit me the other day. The teacher told me that my son was proud of his last name, and that he was at a teacher-parent conference. He writes it all over. He writes it down. He tells everyone, he walks around and says, "I'm Westbrook." I kind of sat there in shock because I have that last name. I can no longer allow people like Westbrick to be shamed. It's like making fun of my name. My legacy is for my kids. It's a name that means a lot to my wife, to my mom, and it's also a name that means a lot to my dad. That is just one example.

That kind of hit myself and my wife in a place where it isn't great. I think it's time to put a stop to that and put it on notice, because I think a lot of times I let it slide. 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 family has received death threats from fans of his play.

The Lakers have a disappointing record this season, with their poor play often being blamed on the poor play of point guard Russell Westbrook. On either end of the floor, he has failed to mesh with James. With Anthony Davis missing significant time due to injuries, the focus has only been greater on the failures of the other players.

Curry told Haynes that it was kind of B.S. when it crossed the line in terms of attacking someone personally, their name, and not keeping it to basketball. At the end of the day, you have to speak up for yourself and also understand that the guys that know what's going on in this league respect the type of player he is. Russ has my support.

It's fair for him to be bothered by the nickname. Everyone has the right to draw their own line.

Allowing opposing fans to know that the nickname gets under his skin may be an invitation for him to hear the chants more often.