Warriors veteran Andre Iguodala slams the NBA media for targeting Russell Westbrook constantly.
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There is no doubt that athletes today are scrutinized more than ever, being in the public eye. The line between their professional lives and personal is almost non-existent. The advent of social media has made them more publicly available, giving critics and haters a plethora of content.
The NBA fraternity is no different, with its members bearing the brunt of being public figures. While constructive criticism is always welcome, this doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, with the so-called fans/analysts/pundits, who continue to pry on an athlete’s personal life too.
A recent example is that of former MVP Russell Westbrook, who was at the receiving end of endless criticism and trolling in the 2021-22 season. Mr. Triple-Double’s debut with the Lakers didn’t go as planned, with the team ending their campaign sixteen games below +500.
Russ was a complete misfit on the roster, struggling with his jumpers and turnovers. The two-time scoring champion was nicknamed Westbrick for his inability to shoot, a term coined by veteran analyst Skip Bayless. Things only got uglier with family members of the Lakers point guard getting involved.
Recently, Andre Iguodala came to the nine-time All-Star’s aid on his podcast.
“What are you trying to accomplish?”: Andre Iguodala calls out the media.
The 2021-22 season was a horrid outing for Westbrook, with him being the center of numerous accusations and name callings. Things came to a point where Brodie’s wife, Nino Westbrook, had to intervene as the trolls and mockery crossed all limits, with the Lakers point guard’s last name being insulted. Russ commented on how the name-calling affected his family, including his kids.
After teammates like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green defended Westbrook, Iguodala recently shed light on the matter, saying the following.
“When these headlines hit or certain news hits the wire, sometimes you gotta take a step back and say, ‘Why would this be put out?’ I get pissed when they always have Russell Westbrook’s news like, ‘This package went, they declined it. This team declined Russell Westbrook, this team declined Russell Westbrook, What are you really trying to do to this man? What did he do to y’all?’ Cause, y’all just constantly keep doing this. What are you trying to accomplish?”
Well, Iggy surely makes a valid point given the media’s bully tactics on Westbrook, as had this been the other way round the Lakers guard would be levied with numerous heavy fines. Thus there has to be some kind of accountability for analysts like Skip Bayless, who get personal with their takes on national television.
