Russell Westbrook has had a very difficult time since joining the Los Angeles Lakers. What initially seemed like a dream move for Russ, getting the chance to play in his hometown, has quickly turned into a nightmare, as Westbrook hasn’t performed up to the mark, and has faced a majority of the criticism for the Lakers’ poor form.
One of the biggest critics of Russell Westbrook has been Skip Bayless. Bayless has been critical of Westbrook for almost a decade now. And that criticism seemed to amplify when Russ teamed up with LeBron James, a man that Bayless has been slamming for almost 2 decades now.
Recently, Russell Westbrook’s wife Nina intervened and called out Skip Bayless for continuously bashing her husband while having her blocked on social media. Nina noted that Bayless should have the courage to face the consequences of the words he uses for the 2017 MVP.
Russell Westbrook was asked about his wife’s response after the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Westbrook revealed that his wife and family have gotten to a point that the criticism over the course of the season has started to take a toll on them. And for him, he doesn’t understand why given that basketball is not the end-all-be-all.
Russell Westbrook on criticism sparking a response from his wife: "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 this is just a game. This is not end all be all…" pic.twitter.com/1CyoOh9DyR
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 8, 2022
“I think, for one, 100% stand behind my wife and how she’s feeling because it’s not about just this year. Right now, she’s reached a point and my family has reached a point where it’s really weighing on them and its very unfortunate just for me personally because this is just a game. This not end-all-be-all. When it comes to basketball, I don’t mind the criticism of missing and making shot. But the moment it becomes where my name is getting shamed, it becomes an issue. I’ve kind of let it go in the past because it never really bothered me…”
Clearly, Westbrook is bothered by the way the constant criticism he’s facing is affecting his family. And that is perfectly reasonable. While players are more than eligible to face criticism, that criticism can eventually start to take a toll on their family members.
Skip Bayless did respond to Nina’s comments, but offered little in terms of an apology, insisting that he will continue to speak his truth. Bayless has made a career out of criticizing players, and it was highly unlikely that he would stop or dial it back after being called out on it.
