Frank Vogel believes Russell Westbrook can finish season really strong

“‘Westbrick,’ for example, to me, is now shaming,” he said, referring to a condescending nickname that makes the rounds online seemingly whenever he has a poor performance. “It’s shaming my name, my legacy for my kids. It’s a name that means, not just to me, but to my wife, to my mom, my dad, the ones that kind of paved the way for me.” -via ESPN / March 8, 2022

Westbrook, a 14-year veteran, nine-time All-Star and former league MVP, said the derision is nothing new for him but that he and his wife, Nina, are speaking out for two reasons: To defend the honor of the family name and to protect their children. “I 100 percent stand behind my wife and how she’s feeling,” Westbrook said after Los Angeles’ 117-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. “When it comes to basketball, I don’t mind the criticism of missing and making shots. But the moment it becomes where my name is getting shamed, it becomes an issue. -via ESPN / March 8, 2022

“I’ve kind of let it go in the past because it never really bothered me. But it really kind of hit me the other day. Me and my wife were at teacher-parent conferences for my son. And the teacher told me, ‘Noah, he’s so proud of his last name. He writes it everywhere. He writes it on everything. He tells everybody and walks around and says, ‘I’m Westbrook.’ … And I kind of sat there in shock, and it hit me like, ‘Damn. I can no longer allow people [to besmirch my name].'” -via ESPN / March 8, 2022