Russell Westbrook’s first season with the Los Angeles Lakers did not go in his favor. The 33-year-old faced plenty of struggles on the court, and he was not too arrogant to admit it. In a press conference following a 21-point loss, Westbrook stated, “I’m not a quitter. It’s not in my genes. I don’t quit, regardless of what the hell is going on. I’m going to fight to the end, and if it don’t work, that’s cool, too. I can live with the results.”
His lack of skills on the floor resulted in him receiving a pretty hateful nickname– Westbrick. Thousands of watchers began referring to the father of three as this due to his failed shot attempts. He’s confronted people in the past about saying it– obviously feeling like it’s a sign of disrespect– and he’s still defending his name ’til this day.
Skip Bayless, a sports commentator, made a post on Twitter that rubbed Russ and his wife the wrong way. He wrote, “Lakers acquire a 2nd-round pick, take Michigan State’s Max Christie, who shot only 32% from 3 last season. Perfect! He’ll fit right in with LeBron and Westbrick.”
After coming across his statement, Russ confronted him head-on via the app. “Yoooo… watch your mouth. Don’t say anything here you wouldn’t say to my face,” he wrote. His wife of six years, Nina, also weighed in on Skip’s insult. “It’s very disheartening that you would choose to continue to shame my family name,” she started, “… It’s extremely hurtful.”
This isn’t the first time Skip has taken shots at the professional basketball player. Back in April, he theorized that Russ would be out of the NBA at age 35 and that he “will not be able to find another home in this league.”