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Russell Westbrook of the Sacramento Kings reacts after tipping the ball in for two points.
Nina Westbrook, the wife of Russell Westbrook, publicly shared a threatening message she said she received following the Sacramento Kings’ 131-94 loss to the Orlando Magic — and used the moment to issue a broader warning about the dangers surrounding modern sports betting culture.
In an Instagram story posted Friday, Nina Westbrook shared a screenshot of an email that included a death wish directed at both her and her husband after Westbrook scored five points in Thursday night’s game.
The expletive-laced message stated that Westbrook “sucks to [expletive] bad can’t even get 10 points is pathetic” before adding, “I hope you both die in a car crash.”
Nina Westbrook Links Threats to Sports Betting Culture
GettyNBA player Russell Westbrook and wife Nina Westbrook attend The Cartier Fifth Avenue Grand Reopening Event at the Cartier Mansion on September 7, 2016 in New York City.
While the email did not explicitly mention gambling, Nina Westbrook suggested the hostility was likely tied to betting-related frustration — a trend she said has become increasingly common for athletes and their families.
“First, I’d like to express gratitude for the support I’ve received from so many of you,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. It’s something my husband and I consider routine.”
Westbrook said she chose to share the message publicly because of growing concern over the normalization of threats and harassment.
“I’m sharing this now because I’m growing increasingly concerned for athletes,” she wrote. “I felt it important to highlight the effects that sports betting has on individuals and how it puts athletes and their families in potentially dangerous positions.”
Mental Health Concerns From a Professional Perspective
Nina Westbrook, a licensed marriage and family therapist, framed her message through the lens of mental health and addiction, calling attention to what she described as an under-discussed consequence of legalized gambling.
“As an LMFT, I have a keen understanding of the psychological implications and dangers of sports betting and gambling,” she wrote. “Gambling is a highly addictive behavior, and people should understand the risks associated with it — especially before introducing it to their children.”
She added that the threatening behavior directed at athletes and their families after games may represent one of the earliest warning signs of gambling’s darker effects.
“I don’t claim to have all the answers,” she wrote, “but the threatening behavior directed toward athletes and their families after games has proven to be one of the early results of amped-up sports betting.”
HeavyNina Westbrook, wife of Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook, shares a hateful message from a fan.
Westbrook’s Role With the Kings
Russell Westbrook, a former NBA Most Valuable Player and nine-time All-Star, signed a one-year deal with Sacramento ahead of the 2025–26 season, bringing veteran experience to a Kings roster seeking depth and leadership in the backcourt.
Westbrook spent the 2024–25 season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game across 75 appearances, including 36 starts.
In the lopsided loss to the Magic on Thursday, Westbrook was 2-for-8 from the field, including 1-of-6 3-point shooting. He also logged only one assist in 17 minutes — an uncharacteristic play for the veteran guard who had previously averaged a triple-double in four different NBA seasons, a league record.
Thursday’s loss marked one of Westbrook’s quieter offensive outings, but Nina Westbrook emphasized that on-court performance never justifies off-court abuse.
A Pattern of Harassment the Family Knows Well
This was not the first time the Westbrooks have spoken publicly about hostile fan behavior.
In 2022, when Westbrook played for the Los Angeles Lakers, he addressed the “Westbrick” nickname that followed him during a prolonged shooting slump. He said at the time that the constant ridicule affected his family to the point that they no longer wanted to attend games.
Nina Westbrook also revealed then that the family had received death threats from critics, underscoring how deeply personal the harassment had become.
A History of Fan Incidents Involving Westbrook
Westbrook’s confrontations with fans have previously drawn national attention.
In 2019, the Utah Jazz permanently banned a fan after a heated exchange with Westbrook, who was then with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Video showed Westbrook telling a fan, “I’ll [expletive] you up,” an incident that later resulted in a $25,000 NBA fine.
Westbrook said the outburst came after the fan told him to “get on your knees like you’re used to,” a comment he described as disrespectful and racial.
A Broader Issue Beyond One Game
By sharing the email, Nina Westbrook said her goal was not sympathy, but awareness.
As legalized sports betting continues to expand across the United States, players’ families have increasingly found themselves caught in the crossfire between performance and profit. For the Westbrooks, Thursday’s message was another reminder that the consequences of that culture extend well beyond the final score.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo