Damian Lillard on How Russell Westbrook Should Deal With Negative Press During One of His Worst Seasons: ‘Just Face It’

Russell Westbrook has had multiple run-ins with media members and fans during the Lakers’ disappointing 31-43 season, and Damian Lillard thinks he shouldn’t shy away from it.

“It’s really the shaming of my name. The shaming of my character,” Westbrook said after a March 8th loss to the Spurs. “The shaming of who I am as a person is to me, it’s not warranted. I haven’t done anything to anybody. I haven’t hurt anyone. I haven’t done anything but play basketball a way that people do not like. This is just a game. This is just a game. This is not my entire life.”

Westbrook explained that the media and fans treatment of him has affected his family with his wife and grandmother not even wanting to attend home games. Westbrook added he doesn’t want to bring his children to games anymore.

Fellow all-star Damian Lillard thinks Westbrook should address his confronters head-on, and not shy away from them. “So I would just face it,” Lillard told Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay after the Undisputed host asked him what advice he has for Westbrook. 

“Whatever the questions are — whether I think it’s a dumb question or something that is self-explanatory or whatever. Just face it and deal with it or whatever,” he added. “Russell Westbrook’s career and legacy are undeniable.”

Watch above via Club Shay Shay.