Russell Westbrook’s wife, Nina, has gone off on ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne for her latest report regarding her husband. Nina posted a story on Instagram in which she called out Shelburne for spreading lies about the Denver Nuggets guard.
“‘Volatile’?” Nina wrote. “You should be ashamed for so many reasons. I’ll let you decifer them.”
“Dirty work, [Ramona],” Nina added. “How could you share and spread so many lies randomly, for no reason, and with so much conviction. You’re using his name for clickbait during the playoffs, which is ridiculous. Trust me, I know the facts about literally everything. Normally, I let you guys tell your silly lies in peace. Enough already. Stop with the lies.”
Here is the article by Shelburne that Nina took offense to. The piece isn’t as outrageous as one might assume based on how she responded. Shelburne largely wrote about the highs and lows that come with having Westbrook on your team. She stated how he is fully capable of winning and losing you games with his volatility.
There were some parts, though, that Nina could have had a problem with. Shelburne listed the cons regarding Westbrook as he can be moody, out of control on the court, stubborn, and immature when he doesn’t get his way. She also wrote about him pouting after being benched at the end of a playoff game.
“After a first-round loss in which Westbrook noticeably pouted when he was taken out at the end of the game, one player told ESPN, ‘It’s crazy. [He’s] changed the entire vibe and spirit of our team.’
“But after another game, an assistant told ESPN, ‘Russ was competing his ass off. I can’t believe he’s still doing this in Year 17. I wish we had 10 of him.'”
Shelburne also reported that Westbrook and Aaron Gordon had an altercation after Game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.
“Minutes after the Nuggets lost Game 2 of their first-round series against the Clippers, Adelman had a problem. While he’d been at the postgame lectern, there’d been a heated discussion between Westbrook and Gordon in the locker room, multiple sources told ESPN.
“Gordon had challenged Westbrook about his attitude. Outside the locker room, one player relayed why Gordon might’ve done so. ‘He’s so immature,’ he said of Westbrook.”
You’d have to assume these are the lies that Nina was referring to. Pretty much everything else was either an opinion about his play on the court or a well-known fact.
Did this article merit that kind of reaction from Nina? Probably not, but she has seen one too many negative reports regarding her husband over the years at this point. She famously spoke out when Westbrook was called a vampire, and rightfully so. The former MVP isn’t perfect by any means, but the discourse surrounding him can become a bit too negative at times.
Westbrook himself wouldn’t be too bothered by all that’s been written about him lately. The 36-year-old’s focus would be on playing better the next time he steps onto the court, after he put up just four points (1-7 FG), four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Nuggets lost the game 112-105 and now find themselves down 3-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals. They’ll be hoping to stave off elimination in Game 6 at Ball Arena on Thursday at 8:30 PM ET.
