Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers took on the San Antonio Spurs without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The former NBA MVP played a solid game, leading the team in rebounds and assists but couldn’t help the Lakers overcome the absence of their two superstars. It was a closely-fought contest that could have gone either way before the young Spurs escaped with the win.
Hours before the game, Nina Westbrook, Russell Westbrook's wife, vented her feelings on Twitter regarding her husband's repeated name-calling on social media. She opened up on a nine-tweet post that revealed details the public wasn’t aware of before. The messages, which were both heart-rending and eye-opening, started with this:
“When I’m being harassed on a daily basis over basketball games, and I’m having obscenity and death wishes for me and my family sent my way because you’re expressing your “truth”, it’s hard for me to get on board with that.”
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Nina Westbrook’s reference about "expressing the truth" was a direct reply to veteran sports anchor and Russell Westbrook critic, Skip Bayless. Mrs. Westbrook previously accused Skip Bayless of blocking her Twitter account when it wasn’t the case. The Undisputed co-host gave an emphatic reply to her original post on social media with this:
“Dear Mrs. Westbrook: Thank you for clarifying that I didn’t block you. I’ve never blocked anybody and I never will. I welcome your criticism and appreciate your defending your husband. But I will continue to tell the truth as I see it.”
Nina Westbrook continued with her lengthy reply amid the alleged death wishes and obscenities thrown at her and her family:
“As far as my husband goes, he is his own person. I don’t need to defend him. I love and support him through all the unwarranted hate and negativity that he receives. I speak up and share my experience and knowledge for those who do not have a voice.”
She also looks forward to the day when future basketball players will be free of the type of social media bashing that her husband Russell Westbrook is going through:
“My hope is that the amazing and talented players that come after him don’t have to be subjected to this type of shaming, name-calling, and public scrutiny for playing the game that they love.”
Russell Westbrook stands by his wife, Nina’s Twitter posts
In a post-game interview after the LA Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs, Russell Westbrook answered questions regarding his wife’s lengthy posts on social media. The fiery point guard opened up a side of him that the NBA rarely, if ever, gets to see.
The Triple-Double King emphatically supports his wife and family:
“Right now, she’s reached a point, and my family has reached a point where it’s really weighing on them. And it’s very unfortunate just for me personally because it’s just a game. It’s just a game. This is not the end-all, be-all 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.”
Russell Westbrook’s first season with the LA Lakers is certainly going through adversity both on and off the court. Hopefully, he gets things right both for his career and for his family.
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