Longtime Los Angeles Times sports columnist and ESPN pundit Bill Plaschke says Lakers star Russell Westbrook's complaints about basketball fans calling him "Westbrick" are off the mark.
The nine-time All-Star and 2017 NBA MVP recently told reporters that he wouldn't stand for spectators and trolls razzing him over his decidedly poor shooting, explaining that the "shaming" was unfair and damaging to his family's legacy.
The comments came after Westbrook was seen engaged in a verbal altercation with a fan during Monday night's loss to the Spurs in San Antonio.
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Plaschke wrote a column for the Times, with an accompanying video explainer on Twitter, saying that while it's "sad" to see Westbrook upset, the fans are merely booing him -- not "shaming" him.
"I'm not going to refer to him as Russell 'Westbrick' -- it's too cliche, too obvious -- but fans are, and they're going to keep doing it the rest of the season. They're not 'shaming' him. They're booing him. There's a big difference.
"They're booing his play on the court. It's sad to see him so upset and despondent over this, but he's just going to have to learn to live with it as long as he's in Los Angeles."
During the game on Monday, Westbrook was heard shouting "don't disrespect my name!" at a fan. Afterwards, the former Thunder, Rockets and Wizards star said his family is being "harassed" on a daily basis.
“My family has reached a point to where it’s really weighing on them,” he said. “And it’s very unfortunate for me personally because this is just a game. This is not be-all end-all.
“When it comes to basketball, I don’t mind the criticism of missing and making shots. ‘Westbrick,’ to me, is shaming my name. It’s my legacy for my kids. It’s a name that means more, not just to me, but to my wife, to my mom, my dad, the ones that kind of paved the way for me. That’s just one example.”
Plaschke, however, doesn't see it as a personal attack, but merely a critique of Westbrook's shooting woes, and an ugly reflection of a hugely disappointing season for both the player and the Lakers.
"The 'Westbrick' thing is just part of the game," he said. "He's heard a lot of cheers over his career. He's got to learn to live with all the boos he hears. ... I just think it's a whole perfect storm -- imperfect storm -- of a guy coming back to play in his hometown and failing to live up to the expectations, and leading the Lakers to one of their worst seasons in recent years.
"It just hasn't worked here, and this just shows the depth of how it hasn't worked here. And I think we saw he's just as despondent about being here as the fans are, and that's why this summer after the season, it will be time for a change."
Despite Westbrook's frustration, he isn't the only aging superstar drawing the ire of Lakers fans -- even LeBron James heard some boos from the home fans during a blowout loss to the Pelicans late last month.
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