Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has been scapegoated and hit with a great deal of criticism this season, and it has grown nasty: He and his family have been targeted with death threats.
Westbrook responded to such criticism on Monday, but many prominent media voices, such as Fox Sports 1’s Shannon Sharpe, have no sympathy for the 2017 regular season MVP.
However, one of the NBA’s best and most popular players publicly defended Westbrook.
Via Yahoo Sports:
“I told him when we played them in L.A. a couple of days ago that I respect how he’s handled the whole year, just in terms of everything he’s been saying and how he’s been handling himself and protecting his family,” Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “It is the nature of the beast. And in a certain perspective, they build you up to break you down. The real ones who have done amazing things in this league know what that means. He’s a professional, and I’m proud of the way he’s conducting himself, and I’m there for him.”
Curry and Westbrook have certainly had their battles over the years. Most notably, the two faced off in the 2016 Western Conference finals when Westbrook was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In that series, Westbrook and his crew jumped to a 3-1 lead and held a sizable advantage in Game 7 in Oakland, only to lose the contest, the series and a shot at the NBA championship that eludes him to this day.
Westbrook likely believed he would have a great shot at that prize when he asked for a trade to the Lakers and was granted that request last summer.
Instead, the Lakers’ season has devolved into a disaster, due in part to injuries and poor roster construction.
Many have also pointed the finger at Westbrook for the team’s struggles, and although his play has been inconsistent, he shined brightly on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Unfortunately, L.A. lost in overtime, 139-130.
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