Russell Westbrook to a kid who called him “Westbrick”: “What you say? What you say? Don’t play around with me. Don’t play on me.”
Is that MITWestbrook white knighting for Westbrook?
I think it’s all of us just wishing Russ would ignore the heckler, laugh it off, or say something funny back to show he gets that it’s just a joke, instead of constantly overreacting to any criticism like an insecure teenager.
Truly no one is immune to the power of teenage boys making fun of you in public
A 17 or so year old once said “shut the fuck up shouldn’t you be in a cubicle or something” to me at pick up. I’ve never fully recovered
that is so hilarious hahahaha
Ah hell nah im never playing pick up there again lmaooo
damn…that’s pretty harsh….I’m sure all you were trying to do was get some exercise on your day off.
X to doubt
that’s what little cousins are for 🤣
Did you type that from your cubicle?
My nephew (actual nephew, not r/nba nephew) said he was faster than me and I was too old now. I just moved him out of my way and reminded him I was still grown.
Ah the age where they get cocky but know none of the tricks.
about 15 years ago a mouthy 16 y/o at the cinema said “ fuck off you bald twat” to me, I had shoulder length hair. As an older and now balding man, that sticks with me.
Your mom and I meet in the parking lot during lunch too 🤣🤣
“I should be in ya mom”
bruh if a 17 yo starts that shit go in on mom jokes. Coming from an adult it gives it 1% realness and that’s all it will need
I just don’t understand why he’s so sensitive to trash talk despite being in locker rooms his whole life and being a public figure for the last 20 years. At some point you have to outgrow the insecurity as an adult.
How did he respond to “yo mamma so fat” jokes as a kid? What about when his UCLA teammates teased him? We know Kevin Love sure likes to poke fun. Was Russ always this sensitive?
Dude is in his late 30s, spent his whole life in locker rooms, and still getting worked up every time someone teases him. It just doesn’t make sense. At some point you have to stop giving a shit what these kids are saying.
It’s such contrast to the other highlight from last night where a fan called LeBron bald and he laughed it off before giving a come back. That’s how grown adults respond to teasing. Westbrook always overreacts like an insecure teenager or Walter Sobchek.
“Westbrick” didn’t start bothering him until he became trash with the Lakers lmao
It’s easier to ignore that when you’re a perennial all-star. Insecurities start to surface when you’re going around the league on vet minimums. Now is when he should show thicker skin.
But also…who cares? The kids said some shit. Russ said some shit back. He went out and played. I don’t get why people think it’s any deeper than that. I’ve seen a million videos of players chirping back at fans. It’s not like he asked for the kids to get removed from the building or whined about it after the game or anything.
It’s not like he asked for the kids to get removed from the building
He actually has done this before, which is why people are talking about him specifically.
You’re underestimating how proud and hyper competitive these guys are.
There are lots of psychological vehicles, but for some it’s that irrationality that makes them great.
and in this case its THE irrational guy. probably the greatest ever
This isn’t even an over-reaction though, this is just normal basketball smack talk, Russ even looks like he cracks a smile at one point.
Russ knows he’s first ballot, these kids don’t got him worried.
I was at UCLA at the same time as Westbrook. I saw him at a grocery store in Los Angeles one time. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
It’s an old copypasta but it checks out.
Fuck that, Russ should’ve ran back to lil bruh and gave him a “too small” taunt after that fade away middie.
Your w/l record this year looks like your average shooting night Mr Westbrick.
He’s currently in the middle of statistically his best shooting season of his career.
‘You’re in the best shooting season of your life Mr Westbrick and you’re till shooting 42% from the field.’
Thanks for helping my heckling game.
Nah, I don’t give a shit actually. If the fans want to talk trash, players should be allowed to react if they feel like it
He is allowed to, it’s just a dumb reaction
Redditors well known for always being the coolest and most level headed group of people. Way more than professional athletes
The “don’t listen to them Russ!” is crazy. Like he’s trying to save his best friend from the pain of being called “Westbrick” by literal teenagers.
You got “trying to save his best friend from the pain” energy from a fan saying don’t listen to them? Its “crazy” he said that? lol
Just a bit of hyperbole
It is a bit strange to yell “you tell em!” as an athlete on your team responds to children though
It is pretty funny
Especially how mad Russ gets over it when it’s a pretty harmless nickname
Yeah, the fact he gets so mad about it makes the name more funny lmao
Yea, if he would’ve laughed it off and said that it was pretty clever but doesnt really like people making fun of his name way back it wouldn’t have taken off like this lol
But flying off the handle at seemingly harmless jab is only going to amplify it.
Same thing happened when Spencer Dinwiddie said that people should stop calling him Dinshiddie
He din shiddied his pants
Yeah and he went on record saying it’s disrespectful to his last name. Everyone knows the more you fight a nickname the more it sticks lol
That’s half the reason why it stuck 😂
100% why I’ll always call him that.
Compare how Westbrick reacts vs how Halliburton reacted to being called Halliban
Haliban isn’t meant to be derogatory towards Tyrese tho. Everybody was spamming that during the playoffs with the “a second haliban game winner had hit the playoffs”. Westbrick is straight up an insult.
It’s an insult but it’s not even that disrespectful of an insult for him to be this upset about it.
It’s not derogatory, racist or against his wife and /or kids if he has those.
As a pro athlete you gotta expect some type of trash talk and this is as tame as it gets.
I mean you can’t really compare those when one implies the player sucks and one implies the player is good.
Reminds me of the Simpsons episode where they get MLB players to play in the company softball game.
Bart and Lisa are chanting DARRRRRYL at Darryl Strawberry and he start to cry.
I remember watching that episode back when I was a kid. I didn’t get the joke though
Yeah I felt bad for Darryl Strawberry.
Nah, man, he took Homer’s spot. Screw Darryl Strawberry.
Just watched this episode last night and that part specifically was so funny to me, I was dying
I did this to Andray Blatche at a Wizards/Pacers game from the second row like 15 or 16 years ago. He did not cry but I don’t think he enjoyed it either.
Aaaaaaaandraaaaaaaayyyyyyy
Yeah you could be called worse, see Giddey.
P Giddey had me crying the first time I saw it
The Giddler was also a good one lol
I’m fucking deceased. This is my first time reading it
Pedophile Dundee
Josh Kiddey
The whole “that’s the name I gave to my children” thing he did about it a few years ago was so dopey it makes it that much funnier
It’s basketball related too lmao.
Him and Draymond (Angel Reese) really never heard of the Streisand Effect
Would’ve been way funnier if he proceeded to miss that jumper in the lane.
Bro you’re in the nba people gonna yell shit lol as long as it ain’t racist or a threat or about their family just ignore it. You’re in the nba you won lol enjoy it
This dude would rock the baby at the first opportunity but then get super butthurt when people clapped back
Russ kicked out a King’s fan at Gold 1 Center for doing his Rock the Baby celebration to him a few seasons ago. Guy loves to dish it but just can’t take it.
most athletes. money makes you extra sensy
Great player, always been a clown.
I still remember his “next question” shit in OKC. He’s always been thin skinned
Crazy cause I thought Turtles had thick skin.
Was talking about this with a friend. I don’t know what the management at OKC did years back when him and KD were rookies/young players but creating an “us (team) vs them (media) may have contributed to both of their thin skin. I remember reading a long article about OKC and their management style with their star players about this very thing.
Funny how Harden avoided that lol
idk if i’d go so far as call him a clown but he does have similarities of fragility like shaq
if you dish it you gotta take it
I thought he was a decent guy in his earlier years. I stepped away from watching sports as much as I got older. The hell he do to be a clown?
Nothing. He has small incidents every now and then but his good wayyy outweighs the bad
I am asking the same question like isn’t Russ pretty chill for a superstar? lol
He’s fantastic for a star.
He just gets sensitive about being called “Westbrick” he seems like mostly a good guy. King’s fans love him because he seems like the only guy that gives a shit during a nightmarish season.
I think most fans appreciate that he always plays hard.
IIRC Russ rocked the baby during his laker season when we were getting blown out, like brooo
Win lose or draw. Just have fun.
I guess I’m really old because when I think rock the baby I think of Dr. J, so I have no idea what you mean.
I’m worried the baby thinks people can’t change.
I mean if you talk shit you gotta at least recognize the possibility of the person you’re talking shit about responding.
If I talk shit at an NBA player and they respond I would like I had won that interaction unless they fight me. If I’m at a Knicks game and I can do something to affect the opponents mental state on any level then I have won that interaction regardless of them “putting me in my place.”
If they fight u, u still win with a lawsuit.
and they’re out of the game!
That dude at the Malice at the Palace was an inch away from finding out what losing looks like
unfortunately Jermaine ONeal slipped
Exactly. They’re opposing fans dude. It’s their job to try and get under your skin.
Trae gets shit talked by Knicks fans constantly and has turned it into a gimmick lmao
That series sucked but was such a memorable moment. Of course there are fans who took it too far but I’m sure for Hawks fans seeing MSG chant “Fuck Trae Young” and then watching him hit the game winner must have been cathartic.
I love Trae Young and thinks he’s awesome but if he’s playing the Knicks at MSG and I am there, I will be joining the chant.
I don’t even blame you. It’s sports and this shit is part of the game.
Trae fires back all the time and even once told Knicks fans “Take y’all ass home” on a microphone after a win over NY when they visited Atlanta.
People can cry all they want, but Russ continuing to do this is soft and idc how they try and spin it
The worst part for me isn’t Trae firing back with his words, it’s him roasting us. He was averaging 30 in those playoffs.
I fucking hate Trae Young but that man is a savage of the highest order for putting a stake in the hearts of the Knicks and taking a fucking bow.
That’s the kind of fire I want in a player. The kind that is fueled by the hatred of the opposing fan. A guy who relishes crushing another team.
Thankfully the Knicks have guys like that these days too.
Westbrook was the worst shit talker in his prime. He’s so sensitive that he doesn’t realize that fans constantly say Westbrick because they know that it gets to him.
Russ wasn’t talking shit back. Dude got confrontational
For real, give me 2% of that dudes income and ain’t nothing anybody saying gonna bother me
Particularly when that income is specifically because he’s performing for an audience. If you’re being paid crazy amounts to put up a show, then you gotta accept that you’ll get criticized when you don’t perform well.
If you are going to talk back to a fan at least say something funny. Getting genuinely pissed about it like this just makes him look sensitive. Like you said, if it’s neither racist nor a threat, then it probably isn’t that serious. “Westbrick” definitely isn’t that serious lol
If he had ignored it in the first place people wouldn’t likely still be hollering it at him
I remember seeing David Justice play and several people behind home plate were chanting wiiiiiiife beeaaaaaater. About 50 times.
Way more warranted tbh, i wish miles bridges would hear these chants every time he stepped on an nba court
Not just in the NBA a future HOFer. How can you be still insecure about your game lol.
You can’t take millions of dollars with the tradeoff being that you’re in the spotlight and be so soft people can’t make fun of your name.
So He’s genuinely sensitive about the westbrick name?
When he was with the Lakers, yes.
Apparently even his children were getting called Westbrick and shit.
Sorry but no. This is a cover story to save face. I attended a shit ton of OKC games from 09-15. He would get whiny about it well before his children were born.
Also, the story makes no sense when you consider that his oldest when he was with LAL was 4 years old.
Calling a toddler Westbrick will do exactly zero emotional damage. It’s like telling the tiger at the zoo he’s ugly, he don’t give af
Edit: Just wanna leave this here. This has been a staple of the man’s career. Cool he won an MVP and averaged a TD in his MVP season? Loved being the 6th seed and eliminated the 1st round. What a legend.
Interesting. Mfer actually made me feel bad for him…
FWIW I felt bad for you when he went to your team :)
Homie always throwing up bricks with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. I get downvoted to fuck for pointing it out in /r/thunder
Dude tanked so many playoff series with that hero ball think he can shoot shit
Anyway sorry as you can tell I’m not a big Russ fan.
He’s still getting is jersey retired bro.
I screamed my lungs out when I heard the news.
Especially since there were talks DeRozan and Lowry might come, and DeRozan had his all star season afterwards…
If you called my toddler a name, he won’t care cause he’s a toddler. I can assure you as his father, I care.
What’s more likely, someone calling Russ’s toddler Westbrick, or calling Russ himself Westbrick
You think Russ was out in public having people call his baby Westbrick? That doesn’t even make sense. If they were saying it, it’s cause they saw him and were saying it to him. Nobody was like, “Lol, look at the baby Westbrick.” That’s absolute bullshit.
Or do you think there’s 4 year olds at day care that know who Westbrook is, and were able to ALSO come up with the nickname “Westbrick” because they understand a brick is a missed shot, and his name sounds similar, and they were calling him that to taunt him because his dad is the basketball player that sometimes misses shots?
That’s completely absurd.
dude you’re so hardcore🤘
More hardcore than an adult talking shit to a toddler?
Do you think some adult actually called his kid westbrick?
Why mans saying that to a tiger though
Bro was consistently bricking every night, lay ups, middies, jumpers, DUNKS.
He caused that shit on himself. Made it worse by complaining about it.
I mean he didn’t cause that shit on himself. Outside of MVP Russ shooting wasn’t his bag. He’s a finisher with a streaky shot and always has been. Of course he’s going to complain about his kids getting bullied at school that’s too far. It’s not like Russ traded himself to LA, it’s not his fault the fit was terrible
You cannot blame him missing layups, middies, and dunks on fit..
Yeah, he played poorly in LA. The fan base also treated him terribly. Both are true but from his perspective it makes complete sense to stand up for himself. It’s not like he was tryna miss shots on purpose in LA. He brought the effort every night, he just wasn’t a good player in that environment
If you don’t have proper spacing, you can’t drive in like a kamikaze pilot towards the rim. If you don’t have the ball in your hand, because your team has LeBron fucking James, and you’re a heavy usage to be effective kind of guy, believe it or not that means the fit is bad. Russ has to have the ball in his hands in order to be effective because when he doesn’t have it, defenders know he can’t shoot and will sag off on the assignment. Nobody is saying LeBron James shouldn’t have the ball over Russ here either. But that makes the fit poor. You have to have a decent shot for the defense to respect you enough to not leave you wide open
The way people bend over backwards to defend that streak is INSANE. Fully airballing uncontested shots multiple times a game is below NBA standards, I’m sorry
Getting called “Westbrick” is hardly bullying. We getting so soft.
He caused it by shooting a ton of shots despite the fact that “shooting wasn’t his bag”, his TS% was near the bottom of the league but he was perfectly happy to continue heaving up tons of bad shots anyway. All he had to do was adapt his game slightly and not take quite so many shots, but then “Russ wouldn’t be Russ” or something
That’s not what happened lmao, he had to come up with some non pussy sounding reason that he was very sensitive about the nickname, so his story was that his kids are extremely proud of the EXACT and CORRECT spelling of their last name, and so calling him Westbrick was an attack on his kids. like dude way to use your kids as a shield from mild criticism I guess…..
Lol his wife saying she had to explain to her kids that their father wasn’t an actual vampire was the dumbest shit for me.
Yeah westbrick and Russ getting triggered existed well before his children did.
He should’ve just taken the Pogba advice: “One week they love me, next week they hate me. Both weeks I’m getting paid.”
Sure, but it’s not like “Westbrick” was what started the bullying. If those kids had never heard it before they were just going to say “hey your dad sucks at basketball now” instead of a funny/clever nickname
This is not true but even if it was, who cares? Have you heard what kids call each other? We’re supposed to think that this centimillionaire’s kids getting teased by “westbrick” is some big deal? That is not even close to actual bullying. Westbrick is the tamest shit. Any kid who has a remotely funny aounding name deals with much worse
I would so love to swap jobs with Russ for a day. Man would not survive 5 seconds in a middle school classroom
Cause he Bricks a lot of shots. Look at Sydney and Billy. The dude who puts up the bricks got butthurt. At least he could dunk.
You can tell that shit hurts
He tried to have me thrown out when I was heckling him with it and that was when he was on the wizards
I think he said it’s an attack on his family name; past generations, his kids and future generations.
Maybe his future generations will learn to make shots
Pulling generational trauma into this seems like a bit of a stretch.
Surnames were based on profession- baker, BlackSmith, etc.
His descendants could be affordable housing developers with an awesome brand name
[removed]
Do people actually buy this lol. They’re making fun of you for bricking shots, not your future unborn children…. Does that really need to be explained
Russell overreacting I can handle. Annoying kids yelling overdone “westbrick” jokes I can handle.
But something about this grown man recording and yelling “don’t listen to them! They don’t know Russ!” I find absolutely hilarious. Like they are long time friends
Russ was going to go home and cry in the shower about these kids calling him Westbrick, luckily this random guy was able to talk him off the ledge. What a hero.
Wdym? That’s MITWestbrook. He and Russ go way back.
If you don’t want to be called Westbrick, don’t be one of the worst shooting stars of all time.
And the first few times maybe ignore it instead of making it completely obvious that it really bothers you
And take games more seriously instead of “win lose or draw just keep having fun”
Magic Johnson called him Westbrick lol
Who’s more thin skinned, Russ or Shaq? Lmao
Shaq without a doubt
Shaq spent 20 years being butthurt about Dwight using the Superman nickname despite Dwight never talking any trash or anything. It’s definitely Shaq.
And that’s despite no one (except himself) calling Shaq superman since he doesn’t resemble superman visually or stylistically in any way lol
Jokic. Have you seen those claw marks?
Thought that was just the new Monster energy brand deal.
KD?
To do this day it still shocks me how easy it is to get into Russ’s head
And don’t play under, over, next to, or, most importantly, inside him.
He likes to talk trash to others but as soon as it’s done back to him he gets all angry 🙄
I’m going to a game just to scream Westbrick.
This dude is way too easily bothered.
Bro I was at an OKC vs TO game in 2019 and was pretty close up. There was a dude who, the entire game, stood up and cupped his hands to scream at max volume ‘RUSSSSSLEEEEEEEEEE HEY RUSSSLLLLEEEEEEE YOU FUCKING SUCK!’ or ‘BRICK IT RUSSSSLLLLLEEEEEEEEE YOU FUCK’.
He did this EVERY single time Russ touched the ball. Or passed us. Or looked in our direction lmao. What he said NEVER once changed. Always repeated those two things.
At first I was annoyed. He was loud. But the longer he did it, the more you could see Russ getting furious and constantly looking to find him. Then I started to enjoy it lmoooo
This right here.
Had a guy do this at a Spurs game a few years back against the Warriors and we were nowhere near the court. I know his throat was sore at the end of the game, but he got his money worth.
He has to be one of the most sensitive players in the NBA. He gets so insecure over the most random shit.
Can’t help but wonder how Westbrook’s career would have went if he had a little more mental toughness.
His career would have went the exact same way. What does his career have to do with this lol?
Don’t take a single Lakers fan opinion on Russ seriously
Why?
First ballot hall of famer.
You nephews kill me lol.
First ballot don’t want him on my team in the playoffs, don’t care how “talented” he is
So because hes a first ballot hall of famer he had no flaws and can’t be criticized? Guess he was actually a good shooter too
Dudes a first ballot HoF lol
he’s literally so soft
I truly cannot imagine being as good at basketball and rich and accomplished as russ is and taking the time to big man a heckler
All basketball related insults should be on the table for fans. Bitch made westbrick
why does he get so mad. dude you play ball for a living and earn millions. jesus man, let it go and just play
Bro… fucking get over it. This reaction is why they keep saying it to you.
Don’t play around with me. Don’t play on me.
Or what?
He’ll have you ejected.
Thinnest skin of any NBA player I have ever seen. This doesn’t make him look tough it makes him look like a clown.
Former MVP really can’t handle the wildest trash talk?
this is the most tame possible trash talk possible and he’s still in his feelings.
guarantee he tried to get those fans thrown out, too.
I’m so sick of his little bit. Every star gets trolled by fans. Grow up. WestBRICK 🤡.
Why are redditors so bothered by the prospect of players talking shit back?
Don’t sound like kids.
I find it very weird how overly protective people on this sub are of trash talk. Like it’s some badge of honor to not be able to just shut the hell up and watch the game.
WESTBRICK
NBA becoming a “highlight league” (thanks Adam?) opens the door to shit takes like this
It’s incredible that this guy hasn’t had someone tell him that reacting to this only makes people want to say it more. Either that or they have and he is just incapable.
KobesaysSOFT.gif
Westbrick acts like he’s going to pull a jay and silent bob strikes back and personally visit every heckler to beat them up at their house
Idk why fans back down, id call him Westbrick again if I had the balls to call him that the first time. It’s not like Russ was gonna do ANYTHING had those guys doubled down except maybe try to get security to escort them out. Hearing the crowd heckle you is part of the game. The more he reacts the more they’ll keep doing it to get a reaction out of him
Well the main reason is because he has literally gotten multiple fans kicked out of games for just calling him Westbrick.
It’s absolutely ridiculous but that’s probably why they back down. They don’t want to be kicked out and treated like a criminal or a degenerate just for heckling at a sporting event.
I love when this happen cause they don’t think a mf will check em. Same mfs that go and talk cash on the internet thinking it’s cute.
Everybody’s a big talker until the 6’4 200lb athlete turns around
Russ said fuck them kids.
Then nailed a shot in DE FACE!!
Westbrick is so fitting.
arguing with a child as a damn near 40 year old is just sad man
I mean I get that it’s probably really annoying to hear that, but getting all worked up over hearing it from a kid speaks to a level of immaturity and insecurity I think. Kids are dumb as fuck and say stupid shit, you’re a multi-million dollar professional athlete, a future NBA hall of famer, and most important a grown ass man, you should be able to just brush it off without much care.
is he actually thinned skin or is besmirching his family name where he draws the line
we all got a stance that we take sometimes that’s super irrational, this is clearly his position