Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook has made it clear he takes serious offense to being called “Westbrick,” but that isn’t stopping fans from taunting him. Westbrook got heated after some young fans called him by that unwanted nickname during Saturday’s game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center.
“What you say?” Westbrook asked. “Don’t play around with me. Don’t play on me.”
Russ shut them up real quick 🤣
(via ramseustv/TT) pic.twitter.com/GWFhMLWCCg
— Overtime (@overtime) December 8, 2025
Westbrook’s scoring on that possession was the perfect response. The 37-year-old would finish the game with 12 points (5-11 FG), one rebound, 10 assists, and four steals, as the Kings won 127-111. They snapped a four-game losing streak by doing so and improved to 6-17 on the season.
Getting back to that nickname, we have seen Westbrook confront fans again and again over it. Interestingly, we saw him get heated at a Kings fan last season when he was playing for the Denver Nuggets.
Now, some would believe that Westbrook, who is averaging 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in 2025-26, is overreacting to a harmless little taunt, but he doesn’t see it that way. He once explained why he won’t allow people to call him “Westbrick” anymore.
“I think, for one, I 100% stand behind my wife and how she’s feeling because it’s not about just this year,” Westbrook said. “Right now, she’s reached a point, and my family has reached a point to 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.
“When it comes to basketball, I don’t mind the criticism of missing and making shots,” Westbrook stated. “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. It really kinda hit me the other day.
“Me and wife was at the teacher-parent conference for my son,” Westbrook continued. “And the teacher told me, she’s like, Noah, he is so proud of his last name, he writes it everywhere, he tells everyone ‘I’m Westbrook’… I kind of sat there in shock, and it hit me. I can’t no longer allow people. For example, Westbrick to me is now shaming, shaming my name and my legacy for my kid.
“It’s a name that means more to me, my wife, my mom, my dad, the ones that paved the way for me,” Westbrook added.
Westbrook stated that every time he hears someone say it, he will address it then and there and nip it in the bud. The nine-time All-Star has been true to his word.
You’d have hoped that Westbrook’s confronting so many individuals over the years would act as a deterrent, but it hasn’t. It seems like this happens a couple of times every season.
Westbrook is now in his 18th season, and he isn’t going to be playing for too much longer. The fans should appreciate him while he’s still around.
We’ll get to see Westbrook in action next when the Kings take on the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday at 7 PM ET.
