Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has been at the center of a lot of news lately.
Amidst what is perhaps the most disappointing season of his illustrious career, Westbrook has gone on the offensive and started to call out fans who have heckled him and called him names throughout the current season.
In response to Westbrook’s appeals, former NFL star and current sports pundit Shannon Sharpe recently made it clear that he has “zero” sympathy for the NBA star.
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“Zero,” Sharpe said when asked how much sympathy he has for the former NBA MVP. “Play better. They didn’t call him boy. They didn’t call him a monkey, ape, didn’t make gestures like that, didn’t say the N-word, did not say any of that. They called him Westbrick, because what has transpired this year is that seems like everything that he shoots is a brick.”
It’s an interesting point, and it certainly raises the question of where the line really should be drawn when it comes to what is and is not okay for fans to say to famous athletes.
Of course, anything racially motivated is without a doubt never acceptable, but one can only wonder if heckling of any kind should be disallowed. Heckling has always played a role in sports, and it has often helped fuel athletes to become even greater.
However, Westbrook has made it clear that what he is being subjected to has gone too far. He also mentioned that his family no longer wants to attend Lakers games due to the harassment he receives.
Unfortunately, nothing related to this narrative can distract Lakers fans from the fact that the 2021-22 NBA season has been an utter failure. The team currently owns a 28-36 record on the season and could even fall out of a spot in the play-in tournament.
Meanwhile, Westbrook’s future in L.A. past this season remains very much in doubt. Westbrook and the Lakers reportedly have “mutual interest” in finding him a new home in the offseason.
