Russell Westbrook recently grabbed headlines for his performances with the high-flying Clippers. The veteran has joined NBA Legends with his latest career milestone, but within 48 hours of the feat, controversy kicked in.
While details are unclear, it seems tempers broke out in a way comparable to Doncic’s earlier ejection of a heckling fan. However, reports suggest Westbrook’s incident was significantly more intense.
Russell Westbrook involved in alleged racial slur incident
A Miami Heat fan was ejected from a game against the Clippers on February 5th after directing a racial slur towards Russell Westbrook. The incident occurred in the second quarter, with the fan reportedly saying “I paid for these seats, boy” to Westbrook. This has sparked outrage and discussions about fan behavior and racism in sports.
The words can be clearly heard in the video that captured the incident. This did not fly with Westbrook, as the word had racial innuendoes. Even players from the Clippers bench were visibly upset with the fan’s remarks.
The Clippers point guard involved the security personnel nearby, who finally escorted the man out without further altercations. The incident capped off a bad day in the office on a personal note for the former Lakers G, as he scored only 5 points in 15 minutes.
Russell Westbrook’s performance in Clippers colors this season
The 2017 NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook, joined the LA Clippers on February 22, 2023, and was signed last year in July for a two-year $7.8 million contract after he reached a buyout agreement with the Jazz. His leadership qualities made him the backbone of the team in the absence of Paul George during the latter’s injury last season.
His performance with the Clippers cemented his undeniable legacy when he became the 5th ever player to score 30 points and 10 assists in a game with 5 different franchises. The 9-time NBA All-Star has played an average of 22.8 minutes per game, putting up 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the 50 games he has played this season. Westbrook is playing a vital role for the Clippers to be in the 4th position in the Western Conference table, who are well on course for a post-season run.
Westbrook recently crossed 25,000 NBA career points in the game vs. the Pistons, which made him the 25th player in NBA history to achieve that remarkable feat.
