Russell Westbrook has been down the road where his name got tarnished. His time with the Lakers saw fans target his last name, bending it because he struggled on the court. That should have stopped. Sadly, Russ’ wife Nina Westbrook found herself reading a haunting email because Westbrook didn’t cash out on a betting parlay.

She shared the message on her Instagram. A person by the name of Joel Molina wrote to her, “Your piece of f**n s**t husband sucks to f**n bad can’t even get 10 points is pathetic. I hope you both d** in a car crash d**b b***h”.

There’s one thing to criticise players for their performances. However, going to such lengths just because people are upset their gamble didn’t work is unacceptable. Nina Westbrook has grown a thick skin to such threats. She saw this as “the negative effects of sports betting”. When people lose money, they get angry.

But Russell Westbrook doesn’t have an obligation to go through his over/under and look after the fans. Beyond that, his loved ones shouldn’t have to experience such hostility. It doesn’t matter if Westbrook scores 5 or 50; betting holds no relevance to his performance. It’s merely seen as entertainment for fans who get a kick out of it. That doesn’t mean they expect everything to go their way. And if it doesn’t, just accept defeat rather than bash a player and their family.

There’s no excuse for such actions. It’s plain inhumanity to go beyond one’s means to cause distress to a family. At 37, Russell Westbrook and his family are meant to enjoy the years of service he has left for the game. Instead, they are forced to tackle through scrutiny just because somebody’s predictions didn’t come true. There is nothing fair about this situation.

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And sadly, Brodie has had to deal with fan outrage for the past few years.

It is Lakers all over again for Russell Westbrook

Before this incident, fans used social media to give the Thunder legend a condescending name. The ‘Westbrick’ tag still lives attached to his name. And why? Because Russell Westbrook decided to come back home to join the Lakers and win for his hometown. But bad performances and a poor team record saw him become the scapegoat.

He was the easiest target, as the new big-money signing for the Purple and Gold. But what fans didn’t consider when coining egregious names is the impact it has beyond the court. Every arena Westbrook went to, people in the stands called him by the made-up name.

It got so bad that he didn’t feel safe bringing his family to watch him play the game he loves.

“Like, I don’t even want to bring my kids to the game because I don’t want them to hear people calling their dad nicknames and other names for no reason because he’s playing the game that he loves. And it’s gotten so bad where my family doesn’t even want to go to home games, to any game,” Westbrook said during that time.

Currently, he is not expected to be a star for the Sacramento Kings. The team has two stars – Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis out for the season. Still, Brodie shows up for a team that isn’t fighting for anything this season, all because of his relentless pursuit to compete. That’s the part that deserves respect.

With a dysfunctional team, it’s probable for players to struggle. Even DeMar DeRozan is averaging below 20 points for the first time in 12 seasons. That doesn’t mean fans have the right to slander him or his family. Those who are on the court are there to do one job: play their best basketball.

Westbrook is well out of his prime, with his minutes constantly fluctuating. But even if they weren’t, and he underperformed doesn’t give anybody the right to threaten his family. It’s disgusting to see social media being used to promote hate. Sadly, till people live by their own expectations, it may not stop.