Russell Westbrook has been subjected to mockery from fans this season. The former MVP has been playing poorly, and his shooting numbers rank up there with some of the worst of his career, even his rookie season. One derogatory nickname that has caught fire in recent weeks is ‘Westbrick’, something Russ isn’t happy about.
Ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves – Los Angeles Lakers game, players were warming up on the court. One fan who was sitting courtside decided to mock Russ by screaming Westbrick at him. However, Westbrook noticed this and decided to confront the fan. The fan, presumably out of fear, began to sing the praises of Russ and told him that he is his favorite player.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened this season. Just last week, Westbrook started yelling at a heckling fan to not disrespect his name by calling him Westbrick. Russell Westbrook spoke during a recent press conference and noted that he would not stand for any person calling him Westbrick anymore, as he considers it an insult to his name and legacy.
Westbrook wasn’t just on the receiving end of trash talk from fans. During the Timberwolves game against the Lakers, both Patrick Beverley and Karl-Anthony Towns were clowning him. Westbrook responded after the game, taking shots at Beverley, whom he has been in a rivalry with for quite some time.
NBA analyst Zach Lowe noted that he hadn’t seen any player be on the receiving end of the kind of trash talk Westbrook was on the receiving end of during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This is clearly a rough season for Westbrook, who has struggled to fit in with the Lakers. His presence on the court has also proven to be detrimental for the rest of the team, who don’t seem to gel well Russ. He and the Lakers will be hoping to find some redemption by the end of this season.
