Russell Westbrook has typically been able to tune out criticism during his career, which is the opposite of his former teammate Kevin Durant.
“I’ve been blessed with the talent to not give a (expletive),” said Westbrook.
Westbrook is married with three children.
“Regardless of what happens, it doesn’t change the way I live, what I think. I have an unbelievable family. Great friends. An unbelievable life. Unbelievable job. I make a lot of money at my job. I’m extremely blessed, thankful, humble. I haven’t been in trouble. I don’t cause no problems. I’m perfectly fine. I’m living my best life and I can’t complain one bit. He say, she say, what somebody says about shooting, passing, dribbling, every year it’s something … they’ve got to make up something about me, which is fine, it’s good. One thing I always know is if they’re not talking about you you’re doing something right.”
Westbrook was asked about if the criticism is part of what has made him so successful.
“It’s something I’ve had to fight through my whole life,” Westbrook said. “It’s the reason I have the motto of ‘Why Not.’ It’s what I really believe in. It’s truly what I stand by because there are many people in the world that will let somebody or people tell them they can or can not do something. ‘Oh that can’t happen again. You can’t do that again. You may never see that again.’
“Those words I don’t use in my vocabulary ‘Can’t. Never.’ It doesn’t work. Why not me? Why not be able to do something to change the culture, change basketball, change the way it’s played? I just think differently man, and that’s how I’ve always thought.”