When Lakers guard Russell Westbrook took to the mic on Monday and laid out just how personal — too personal — the criticisms directed towards him had become this season and call out the death threats sent to his wife, it was a stark reminder that basketball is simply a game, and players are simply fellow humans.
Unsurprisingly, many quickly jumped to defend Russ, including teammate Kent Bazemore and Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Those defenses have continued in the days since, with head coach Frank Vogel addressing the situation prior to Wednesday’s game against the Rockets.