The wife of NBA veteran Russell Westbrook, Nina Westbrook, received a death threat via email after her husband's performance failed to meet a bettor's expectations. She posted a screenshot of the vulgar message to her Instagram story, criticizing the negative impact of sports betting.
Nina Westbrook stated this was not an isolated incident and expressed growing concern for the safety of athletes and their families. She highlighted gambling's addictive nature and the threatening behavior it can provoke from losing bettors.
The incident underscores a wider issue, with studies showing many athletes face harassment from gamblers. Despite these concerns, the NBA maintains strong partnerships with major sports betting companies, an industry the league's commissioner has long supported legalizing.