Growing up, a lot of players dream of wearing the Lakers’ Purple and Gold jersey during their playing tenure. However, that doesn’t come without its own pressure. The Lakers have one of the harshest fanbases in sports. When Russell Westbrook failed to make an impression in his first year with the franchise during the 2021-22 season, he was in the crosshairs of many fans who wanted him gone as soon as possible. Danny Green, who won a championship with the franchise in 2020, cited Westbrook’s example to prove how difficult it is to play for the franchise.
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Appearing on his 2020 championship teammate Dwight Howard’s Above the Rim podcast, Green declared that the Lakers fanbase is the toughest to deal with throughout the league. As per Green, if the market can shatter the spirit of a competitor like Westbrook, then one can imagine the severity of the situation.
Green talked about how Westbrook is known for his assertive attitude, however, the rabid Lakers fanbase had him questioning his skills at one point. It sums up the scrutiny one has to go through when representing the Purple & Gold Jersey. When asked if he felt the most pressure in his career with the Lakers, Green replied,
“You feel the pressures of it and you’re just like, damn, it is a lot, there is a lot of heat on it. You’re not yourself, you’re not playing like yourself… I knew I wasn’t the only that could feel it when I saw Russ get there. I was like oh my god, he is the most confident guy I’ve seen in this league, most aggressive, if he went through it there, anybody could. I’m not saying it broke him but this dynamic can change a player like him to a point where he might be second guessing himself. I’m saying that shows you how big that magnifying glass is and how hard it is.”
Danny Green is on point about his assessment of Westbrook’s troubled tenure with the Lakers. Since Westbrook is not a reliable shooter from the three-point line, he is derisively called “Westbrick” by many basketball fans, and even Lakers legend Magic Johnson has used the term to mock his shooting struggles.
At the tail-end of the 2021-22 season, the Lakers home crowd turned on him and chanted the disparaging moniker to show their displeasure. It is rare for a home crowd to behave in such a way towards their own athlete, which sums up the demanding nature of Lakers fans.
During a press conference in May 2022, Westbrook expressed his annoyance at the ‘Westbrick’ chants and admitted that they are having a negative impact on his family, He said,
“Westbrick for example, to me, is now shaming. It’s shaming my name, my legacy for my kids. It’s a name that means, not just to me, but to my wife, to my mom, my dad, the ones that kind of paved the way for me. That’s just one example. That kind of hit myself and my wife in a place where it’s not great.”
Westbrook’s wife, Nina Earl also revealed that she is getting constant death threats and is facing harassment from Lakers fans online on a daily basis. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers and Westbrook parted ways just after one and a half seasons in 2023. It sums up the rigors of donning a Lakers jersey.
This is one of the reasons why Danny Green didn’t return to the Lakers even when he had a chance to do so during the 2022-23 season. He felt a return wasn’t worth all this pain despite winning a championship with the Lakers not that long ago.
