“If I had a penny for every time Russell Westbrook has been called ‘Westbrick’ by fans, media”- Skip Bayless says the term "Westbrick" is not a personal shot
Russell Westbrook was one of the better players of the last decade, but the lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LA Lakers point guard was tagged with the nickname "Westbrick" for his poor shooting. Skip Bayless recently spoke about the slight on his podcast.
After a tumultuous few years since being traded from the OKC Thunder, Westbrook is coming off one of his worst seasons. On an LA Lakers team led by LeBron James, Westbrook failed to put the team over the top.
As a result, the "Westbrick" moniker was back in full force during his lowest points of the season. Still, Westbrook is unhappy with the nickname and is upset at people like Bayless who keep using it.
On "The Skip Bayless Show," Bayless spoke about the nickname. He said people used the nickname before him.
"The point here is, if I had a penny, just a penny for every time Russell Westbrook has been called 'Westbrick' by fans, media, critics, or I'll even bet fellow players, coaches and executives behind closed doors away from Russell Westbrick, if I had a penny for every time, I just might have more money right now than LeBron James does, you know," Bayless said.
With LeBron James becoming the first active billionaire in the NBA, Bayless would need over 100 billion pennies. Bayless concluded his analysis by pointing out how criticism comes with being in Westbrook's position:
"I know that is the truth. Look, in the end, bottom line, Russell Westbrook is an extremely highly paid entertainer, and criticism is obviously an occasional occupational hazard."
NBA players receive criticism almost daily because of fans and haters on social media. Westbrook has received criticism since his days playing college basketball.
Still, Bayless believes that Westbrook's nickname is accurate.
Skip Bayless on the accuracy of the Westbrick nickname for Russell Westbrook and it not being a personal shot
While the nickname "Westbrick" can be viewed as an insult to Russell Westbrook, Skip Bayless does not see it that way.
"The term 'Westbrick' it isn't a personal shot. It's not a cheap shot of any kind, and it's not an insult, and it's not a slur. It's just a bull's-eye of a shot at Westbrook's jump shot, which all too often, as we all know, hits the rim or the backboard like a brick, Westbrick."
However, Westbrook takes the nickname more personally.
Yoooo… watch your mouth. Don’t say anything here you wouldn’t say to my face. twitter.com/RealSkipBayles…
Although people have used the nickname for years, it appears Westbrook is sick of it.