Lakers News: Russell Westbrook’s Wife Claps Back At Reports Of Locker Room Tensions

Nina Westbrook weighs in on Instagram.

After $47.1 million ex-Los Angeles Lakers sixth man Russell Westbrook was shipped out of town in a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, it was reported that he had become a locker room "vampire" as tensions had escalated between Westbrook and various other factions of the club, perhaps because the team's best player had openly expressed his disappointment that, in essence, Westbrook had not been traded for Kyrie Irving.

Westbrook's wife, Nina, took to Instagram to weigh in on the accusations that he was sucking the life out of the LA locker room:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints)

"This is just sick ESPN," Westbrook wrote. "Russell is no vampire. This is also slander because anyone who knows anything knows that this couldn't be further from the truth. On a personal note, I have school aged children who have to listen to their peers repeat the nasty things that you guys say on television about their father. I guess I will prepare myself to explain to my 5 year old that his dad is not actually a vampire, and that major news outlets only say things like that to get attention."

To be fair, she is absolutely correct that the "vampire" quote was totally intended to get eyeballs, which it doubtless succeeded in doing.

It also seems entirely possible, given Westbrook's tense exits at several prior stops, that things had grown tense in LA, and his refusal to ever waver from his flawed approach to the game (especially fourth quarter execution) could certainly have rubbed his colleagues the wrong way. The new additions brought on to the club in his stead seem like much better fits.

Westbrook is currently with the Jazz for now. Should he be bought out, the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls are both said to have interest in the nine-time All-Star.