Russell Westbrook meant it when he said he would call out anyone shaming his name.
The star Clippers guard got into a heated exchange with a Hornets fan, who allegedly heckled him courtside during Sunday’s game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, according to video circulating on social media.
“That’s my family name. Respect that,” Westbrook said, according to The Daily Mail. “I got kids, don’t disrespect my name. You understand?
“Do you understand? I don’t give a f–k, do you understand me?”
The Hornets fan, who was wearing a Charlotte jersey and a balloon hat, allegedly chirped at Westbrook during the first half of what was a 130-118 Clippers win.
It’s unclear what exactly started the exchange and if the fan was removed from the arena.
Westbrook finished Sunday’s contest with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The incident comes months after the veteran point guard confronted a Timberwolves fan who heckled him during warmups before a game in January.
Westbrook previously said he’s dealt with heckling his entire career, but things had gotten “so bad” in March 2022 that he addressed the matter publicly when he was taunted with the “Westbrick” nickname during his time with the Lakers.
The former NBA MVP, who was putting up historically poor offensive numbers at the time, vowed to confront anyone heckling him about the “Westbrick” moniker after his wife, Nina, said their family was getting “death wishes” amid his scoring slump.
“A lot of times I let it slide, but it’s now time to put a spot to that and put it on notice,” Westbrook said. “… It’s really the shaming of my name, the shaming of my character, the shaming of who I am as a person to me is not warranted. I haven’t done anything to anyone… I haven’t done anything but play basketball, a way that people may not like.
“… Once it starts affecting my family, my wife, my mom… it affects them even going to games. I don’t even want to bring my the kids [Noah, 5, and 3-year-old twin daughters Jordyn and Skye] to the game because I don’t want them to hear people calling their dad nicknames and out of his name for no reason because he’s playing the game he loves… And it’s super upsetting to me. I’m at a point where I’m going to continue to address it. It’s just unfortunate.”
The Clippers (47-27) are focused on making a deep playoff run after last year’s first-round ouster by the Suns.
They are currently in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.
The 2024 NBA Playoffs begin April 20 after the Play-In Tournament from April 16-19.
