In a passionate speech, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has spoken out against the way Russell Westbrook was recently described as a “vampire” in the locker room. Last week, Westbrook had an altercation with Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert after which he was called a vampire by several of his teammates.
Green took offense to this characterization, saying that it was insulting and offensive for anyone to describe another person using such language. He noted that he did not think any of the players meant any harm by their words but felt there should be consequences for them and urged everyone to show more respect for one another going forward. He also noted that words do have meaning and can hurt other people, regardless of intent.
Green’s response highlights how important it is for everyone to think carefully before they speak and consider how their words may affect those around them.
Green, who is known for his passionate and outspoken personality, said that he believed such language was inappropriate and did not reflect well on the organization. He argued that describing someone as a vampire implies they are an outsider, which could damage their reputation among fellow players, coaches and fans. Green also commented that it would be better to address any issues with respect rather than resorting to derogatory terms.
While Green pointed out that he’s in no position to dispel those talks since he’s not in the Lakers’ locker room, he warned the reporter who made the claim that they better be sure to have the facts to back it up. Because the way he sees it, the criticism was all but a shot at Russ’ character, which is really bad and wrong since he knows the kind of person that Westbrook is.
“I didn’t like that because it just felt like a shot at character. And me, personally, I know Russell Westbrook does not have bad character, I know Russell Westbrook is an incredible dude,” Green said in the latest episode of his podcast.
“I can’t 100 dispel that because I’m not in the locker room but like I said I am going to say if you are going to say that you better be damn sure that is the case and if you do say that and if you even are sure the then God damn it you got to give some facts.”
After the Lakers traded Russell Westbrook in a three-team deal that landed them D’Angelo Russell, a report emerged describing how the team was feeling about Russ’ departure. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported, “As one source told me, ‘You remove a vampire from the locker room.’ That meaning a vampire sucks the blood out of the locker room and Russell Westbrook moves on.”
The description received plenty of criticisms, with Westbrook’s wife even chiming in and slamming the whole narrative. After all, Westbrook certainly doesn’t deserve the hate, especially since he went all-out for the Lakers and even embraced his bench role with the team.
“This is just sick ESPN…” Nina Westbrook wrote. “Russell is no vampire. This is also slander because anyone who knows anything knows that this couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Westbrook himself has yet to address the harsh criticisms, but hopefully, he can shut down all the haters trying to smear his name.
The basketball world has been abuzz lately as Russell Westbrook, one of the game’s biggest stars, has come under fire from some of his harshest critics. Westbrook himself has yet to address the criticisms directly, but those who know him best have come out in defense of the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard and MVP.
Following a string of poor performances recently, many speculated that the All-Star was suffering from a slump and had started to lose his edge on the court. Critics have taken to social media platforms and NBA forums to bash Westbrook for these perceived shortcomings while others are digging up old incidents in an effort to smear his name. However, those closest to him remain adamant that he will be able to turn things around and prove all of his haters wrong.
