Westbrook mad again at being called “Westbrick”

[Jfh20]

imagine threatning someone over harmless basketball jokes/criticism.... that is so pathetic.lol

[MavfanAus]

Since when is 'brick' derogative?

It implies his shots are bricks. Which seems by definition insulting to a basketball player. He is an NBA pro. Those guys seem pretty much among the best 100 people in the world at putting a certain ball through a hoop. For an old dude who likely can hit a free throw to throw shade like that is pretty much pure envy.

Its not that big a deal though. The brick is not because he is build like a brick or something vaguely complimentary is it?

its fans being fans. This is how pro sports work. You root for your team and root against other players/teams. Westbrick is as light-hearted as it gets. What are we even talking about lol

Whilst you have a point regarding fan behaviour and pro sports (I don't disagree), out of all the Sporting leagues out there, the NBA is definitely up there with some of the biggest halfwit fans who talk a big game online yet have zero ability to back it up in person.

The media hasn't helped. The Skip Bayless and Stephen A's of the world have influenced the modern fan into thinking that their own takes are valuable when in fact, it's nothing more than a bunch of stat nerds arguing with each other over analytics.

The Internet Basketball Community reminds me of the usual Filipino baller down at everyone's local park who thinks he's a basketball god and plays pure Iso ball in a pickup setting. Hell, I remember awhile back there was a thread on the GB where posters were arguing with others that they could have beaten players from back in the 60's and 70's. It's just complete and utter nonsense

[Richard Miller]

It implies his shots are bricks. Which seems by definition insulting to a basketball player. He is an NBA pro. Those guys seem pretty much among the best 100 people in the world at putting a certain ball through a hoop. For an old dude who likely can hit a free throw to throw shade like that is pretty much pure envy.

Its not that big a deal though. The brick is not because he is build like a brick or something vaguely complimentary is it?

its fans being fans. This is how pro sports work. You root for your team and root against other players/teams. Westbrick is as light-hearted as it gets. What are we even talking about lol

Whilst you have a point regarding fan behaviour and pro sports (I don't disagree), out of all the Sporting leagues out there, the NBA is definitely up there with some of the biggest halfwit fans who talk a big game online yet have zero ability to back it up in person.

The media hasn't helped. The Skip Bayless and Stephen A's of the world have influenced the modern fan into thinking that their own takes are valuable when in fact, it's nothing more than a bunch of stat nerds arguing with each other over analytics.

What does that have to do anything with it though, that would imply you can't criticize a player unless you were a successful NBA player yourself, you can't criticize a president of the country if you haven't been a president of the country yourself and so on. They are not gods.

[MavfanAus]

its fans being fans. This is how pro sports work. You root for your team and root against other players/teams. Westbrick is as light-hearted as it gets. What are we even talking about lol

Whilst you have a point regarding fan behaviour and pro sports (I don't disagree), out of all the Sporting leagues out there, the NBA is definitely up there with some of the biggest halfwit fans who talk a big game online yet have zero ability to back it up in person.

The media hasn't helped. The Skip Bayless and Stephen A's of the world have influenced the modern fan into thinking that their own takes are valuable when in fact, it's nothing more than a bunch of stat nerds arguing with each other over analytics.

What does that have to do anything with it though, that would imply you can't criticize a player unless you were a successful NBA player yourself, you can't criticize a president of the country if you haven't been a president of the country yourself and so on. They are not gods.

I don't believe I said that we as fans can't criticize players. There's a difference between criticism, and flat out nasty, hateful comments.

[Dogen]

DJ Plays "You're As Cold As Ice" For Every Russell Westbrook Missed Shot

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That is hilarious!

[PizzaSteve]

[tweet][/tweet]

Call him Westbrick if you like, but it says more about the person using the term than it says about Westbrook.

I disagree. I don't think you can deduce much about a person simply from them saying "Westbrick" because human beings are complex and multi-faceted. The term Westbrick on the other hand is objectively truthful, as it accurately identifies Russ as a bricklayer by NBA standards without making any statement about his character.

You make good points, but sort of illustrate my point as well. Some people enjoy or profit from making insulting labels and making fun of other people, while others try to practice restraint and treat all fellow humans with respect, ala the Dali Lama.

For decades it was considered good fun to label gay people, ethnic groups, women, use the n word, call the poor lazy stereotype based nicknames. In many areas it still is. It is an ugly side of tribal human nature to `otherise' people to use that as a foundation for power grabbing by those using the insults. Men insult women in an attempt to grab back power lost based on their desire.

It is sad because it is known that the insulting name is meant to emotionally hurt a person in a dehumanizing way. Posts above celebrate how the insulting name is triggering a thin skinned athelete into embarrassing public comments. I dont chose to celebrate how emotionally crushing it is to be called names. Pretty much everyone can relate to schoolyard name calling and understand that it can really hurt someones feelings. Even NBA millionaires are not above being hurt by insults, even from simple fans. Bully types find it funny and justify their behavior on some sort of 'emotional toughness ethos', a shell that they use to justify their behavior. Usually these excuses are a disguise for either a lack of emotional empathy or their inner need for some feeling of power over someone else (or their own troubling emotions), because of personal insecurities.

Sorry that the 4 quotes in my notifications had me break my statement that I was withdrawing from the discussion. While this is a very mild insult, I did feel the process of how it is being discussed illustrated the broader dynamics of naming someone, insults, and how that illustrates human behavior. In college I studied contemporary philosophy and a professor at Harvard, at the time, mid 80s, Hillary Putnam wrote a very good book 'Naming and Necessity', which discussed how we name and use words to label things and attach meaning to those labels. This thread is a very interesting example and would have been a great paper topic. Is the insulting name and its meaning to society, media and Westbrook himself something good, bad, or indifferent? How does it evolve over time in context? Is the legitmate criticism of his inefficiency in a public job a fair area for a label or not?

A good discussion and this is definitely a grey area one.

[Richard Miller]

Whilst you have a point regarding fan behaviour and pro sports (I don't disagree), out of all the Sporting leagues out there, the NBA is definitely up there with some of the biggest halfwit fans who talk a big game online yet have zero ability to back it up in person.

The media hasn't helped. The Skip Bayless and Stephen A's of the world have influenced the modern fan into thinking that their own takes are valuable when in fact, it's nothing more than a bunch of stat nerds arguing with each other over analytics.

What does that have to do anything with it though, that would imply you can't criticize a player unless you were a successful NBA player yourself, you can't criticize a president of the country if you haven't been a president of the country yourself and so on. They are not gods.

I don't believe I said that we as fans can't criticize players. There's a difference between criticism, and flat out nasty, hateful comments.

It's not like it's the European soccer, NBA is most of the time as bland as they come

[Jazz9]

Oh no a mean nickname!
Thoughts and prayers to WB

[wade44]

[tweet][/tweet]

Call him Westbrick if you like, but it says more about the person using the term than it says about Westbrook.

I disagree. I don't think you can deduce much about a person simply from them saying "Westbrick" because human beings are complex and multi-faceted. The term Westbrick on the other hand is objectively truthful, as it accurately identifies Russ as a bricklayer by NBA standards without making any statement about his character.

You make good points, but sort of illustrate my point as well. Some people enjoy or profit from making insulting labels and making fun of other people, while others try to practice restraint and treat all fellow humans with respect, ala the Dali Lama.

For decades it was considered good fun to label gay people, ethnic groups, women, use the n word, call the poor lazy stereotype based nicknames. In many areas it still is. It is an ugly side of tribal human nature to `otherise' people to use that as a foundation for power grabbing by those using the insults. Men insult women in an attempt to grab back power lost based on their desire.

It is sad because it is known that the insulting name is meant to emotionally hurt a person in a dehumanizing way. Posts above celebrate how the insulting name is triggering a thin skinned athelete into embarrassing public comments. I dont chose to celebrate how emotionally crushing it is to be called names. Pretty much everyone can relate to schoolyard name calling and understand that it can really hurt someones feelings. Even NBA millionaires are not above being hurt by insults, even from simple fans. Bully types find it funny and justify their behavior on some sort of 'emotional toughness ethos', a shell that they use to justify their behavior. Usually these excuses are a disguise for either a lack of emotional empathy or their inner need for some feeling of power over someone else (or their own troubling emotions), because of personal insecurities.

Sorry that the 4 quotes in my notifications had me break my statement that I was withdrawing from the discussion. While this is a very mild insult, I did feel the process of how it is being discussed illustrated the broader dynamics of naming someone, insults, and how that illustrates human behavior. In college I studied contemporary philosophy and a professor at Harvard, at the time, mid 80s, Hillary Putnam wrote a very good book 'Naming and Necessity', which discussed how we name and use words to label things and attach meaning to those labels. This thread is a very interesting example and would have been a great paper topic. Is the insulting name and its meaning to society, media and Westbrook himself something good, bad, or indifferent? How does it evolve over time in context? Is the legitmate criticism of his inefficiency in a public job a fair area for a label or not?

A good discussion and this is definitely a grey area one.

[VeggieBurger]

Westbrook was my favorite player at one time and still is one of my favs, but Jesus, this is just ultra softness at it's highest level. Seriously, some of the guys misses are comical for a professional. He also is just an unlucky victim of circumstance. If his last name was Johnson or Smith we wouldn't even be talking about this. His name CONVENIENTLY ALLOWS for the funny iterations we see now. On the flip side, I've seen GOATbrook many times, and I doubt you'd get a complaint from him on that.

This is just so funny on so many levels especially since all of this is predicated on him having the right combination of consonants and vowels to allow the funny iterations in the first place. You have to be an extraordinary narcissist to believe that your name is impervious to any type of alteration from media or anyone for that matter. Besides, if he didn't hit the side or top of backboard or miss dunks/layups so much, even if he has "normal" misses, this wouldn't even be a thing.

The collective softness of the NBA is just ridiculous right now.

[bbalnation]

Russ like many players are very sensitive. They want to voice their opinion but they want everybody else to be mutes. I find these people to be extremely weak personally.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

Thank you for having the courage & bravery to share your judgement and analysis about another human being's character publically, but behind a hidden digital alias through a computer or phone screen where those reading don't know who you are: your family names, your basketball pedigree on a basketball forum, source of income, etc.

Insightful basketball commentary, HMFFL!

Metrics wise, fwiw; you have more RealGM posts than Russ has NBA career points (#31 all time total).

Congrats there, quite an accomplishment with these types of posts.

Warned for personal attack. We all post our opinion on basketball players here without it being a referendum on ourselves, personally. This is a forum for basketball discussion and a poster saying 'Westbrook bad' is not the same as saying 'Westbrook worse than me'
- js21/ccs

30:33

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[OkcSinceSGA]

Draymond is usually right, but he’s wrong here.