Russell Westbrook has long been one of the more controversial players in the NBA. He has strung together some of the best individual seasons of all time, although he has never found team success as a first option.
He is often an inefficient scorer, but remains one of the best point guards ever despite some shortcomings.
As the Denver Nuggets battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs, Westbrook has continued to play a large role for Denver, although he is shooting only 38.6 percent from the floor and is turnover-prone.
As a result of his lackluster play, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne published an article on Tuesday titled "Why the Nuggets' title hopes might hinge on the most volatile player in the NBA."
Shelburne outlined both the highs and lows of Westbrook's career, calling him both "fiery, focused, always competitive, always available," and "moody, out of control on the court, stubborn, immature."
It's hard to call Shelburne's article anything but fair. She both commended his growth as a player and highlighted where he has struggled.
However, Westbrook's wife took issue with the article.
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook
© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Nina Westbrook has been married to Russell since 2015 and is by far his biggest fan, which says a lot.
Fans in Oklahoma City, even though Westbrook never won a title, still cheer for him every time he comes to town as an opponent, which was a point Shelburne also made.
However, Westrbook's wife did not take kindly to the article.
"Dirty work Ramona," she wrote on Instagram. "How could you share and spread so many lies randomly, for no reason, and with so much conviction. You're using his name for clickbait during the playoffs which is ridiculous. Trust me, I know the facts about literally everything. Normally I let you guys tell your silly lies in peace. Enough already. Stop with the lies."
While Shelburne highlighted the highs as well as the lows, the article was not glowing positive. It was also not a "hit piece" either, although Nina Westbrook might disagree.
"'VOLATILE?'" she added, "You should be ashamed for so many reasons. I'll let you decipher them."
Shelburne and the rest of the media have not always been the most friendly about Westbrook, although there have rarely been attacks about any off-court stuff.
It's mostly been kept professional, although going after Westbrook might come at a cost from here on out.
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