Russell Westbrook deserves the respect that he is asking for

Russell Westbrook spoke to the media after the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night and opened up about the criticism he has received this season and the threats that his family has had to endure.

Nina Westbrook opened up on Monday morning about the harassment that she has endured on a daily basis, including obscenities and death threats sent her way.

There is absolutely no justification for harassing an athlete’s family or sending threats of any kind to the athlete themself or their family members. That should not be a controversial take as fans who engage in this type of behavior are not real fans at all.

It is disgusting that Westbrook and his family have had to deal with that kind of harassment over basketball. And Westbrook is not alone. There is toxicity among sports fans that goes far beyond the court, field, or pitch. The biggest drawback of this new media age is the ability for these disgusting actions to have an easier avenue.

The sports fans who are not psychos sending death threats to an athlete and their family might be wondering where to draw the line in the sand. At what point does heckling turn into harassment? When does ribbing a player for their performance turn into a personal, hateful attack?

“The moment it becomes where my name is being shamed, it becomes an issue.”

Westbrook drew his line in the sand and it revolves around the “Westbrick” nickname. Russ explained the pride that his son has in being a Westbrook. Something that did not fully hit him until a recent parent-teacher conference.

Westbrook is in a unique situation in regards to the heckling he is receiving from fans. Not many athletes get nicknames that directly impact the player’s name. LeBron James (who Skip Bayless dubbed as LeSnitch) has had various “nicknames” over the years that directly played on his name. Outside of that, there really are not many prominent examples.

Sure, Kevin Durant was called a snake by heckling fans, Anthony Davis has been called street clothes. That is different.

Lakers fans should respect Russell Westbrook’s request.

To some, a last name may not seem very important. To others, a last name carries a legacy that extends past the individual. Just because a fan may not see the importance of a last name does not mean that they should ignore the fact that it does mean something to Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook’s desire to leave a legacy with the Westbrook name, and for that name to not be disrespected, should not be ignored. While Westbrook himself did not bring up race relations in his comments, that very well could be part of the equation in why Westbrook wants his surname, and its legacy, to remain untarnished.

I am coming from a place of ignorance. I am a white, 23-year-old male in the United States. Plenty of people have my last name. I cannot pretend to understand completely how important Westbrook views his last name and the pride that comes with it. It could be part of the equation, it could not.

Admitting ignorance and simply respecting his desire to leave the name untarnished is the respect that he deserves. He should not have to explain himself.

Of course, saying this to the media is only going to add fuel to the fire for some. Now that people know he doesn’t like the Westbrick nickname, some are more likely to use it in their heckling. Hopefully, those people come across this article and at least re-think those actions.

Heckling should not be removed, either. The fans in Phoenix counting in unison while Giannis Anteotkounpo was at the free-throw line is expert-level heckling. Home fans should be able to have some kind of impact on the game.

But the second it gets personal in any way it is no longer heckling. It is harassment. To Westbrook, the Westbrick nickname is not heckling, it is harassment. He even said he doesn’t care if someone comments on his play, missing a shot, etc. He just doesn’t want his name, his kids’ name, his wife’s name, his family’s name, to be part of that.

Whether you agree or not, whether you think he is being “sensitive” or not, doesn’t matter. Russell Westbrook deserves the respect of a human being, and quite frankly, we all could respect each other a bit more.

Heck, I have certainly been guilty in this industry in taking criticisms too far. We all can be better, myself included.

Heckle him all you want. Yell “airball” if he shoots and misses. Get upset about his play and criticize his effort level on the court. Ask the Lakers to bench him so he turns down his player option. That is all fine. Just do him the respect of leaving his name out of it.