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LeBron James and Other NBA Players Jump to Defend Russell Westbrook After He Was Disrespected By Fan

Published 05/26/2021, 11:44 PM EDT

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Despite making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Washington Wizards look like they will be forced out from the first round itself. Well, they are playing against the league’s top team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Losing their second game in a row, the Wizards are already very tensed. And then comes along another controversial video of a fan disrespecting Russell Westbrook during the game. Even LeBron James is furious at the incident as he came to Russell’s defense on Twitter.

What went down with Russell Westbrook?

The Philadelphia 76ers had a blowout 120-95 win against the Washington Wizards in Game 2 of the first-round series. This has the Sixers up by two, making it harder for Washington to make a comeback.

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To top it off, the Wizards can’t catch a break. Their star player Russell Westbrook was seen heading back into the locker room because of an ankle injury.

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While he was on his way and just going through the tunnel, a 76ers fan sitting in the stands ended up throwing popcorn at Russell. This goes against the basic code of conduct that fans should and need to follow while watching games.

An already frustrated Westbrook was also seen trying to retaliate and trying to head back out to see who it was, but he was stopped. This triggered fans on Twitter as well, and what’s better than the biggest name in the NBA backing you up immediately.

LeBron James advocates for him

Bron couldn’t stand this kind of behavior either. Right after the video of this incident went viral, he posted his stance on the matter on Twitter. “By the way, WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the shoe was on the other foot. #ProtectOurPlayers,” wrote LBJ.

Westbrook hadn’t cooled off after the game either. In his post-game interview, he said, “This s— is getting out of hand, especially for me. The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f— they want to do. It’s out of pocket.”

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The incident seemed deliberate and as a way of mocking Westbrook for walking out of the game. However, DC will be hosting Game 3 and thanks to that 76ers fan, Philly players might have to be on the lookout.

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.
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