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4 NBA Name and Shame Cases That Will Shock You

Celebrities are unfortunately targeted by relentless trolling, and NBA stars aren’t immune. Here are four NBA cases involving trolling and lawsuits that might shock you.

Although you might not think it, name and shame laws are a thing and can have serious consequences. “Trolling” – the abuse of individuals online – can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communications Act 2003. So, it’s really worth thinking about what you’re posting online and sharing with news outlets.

Celebrities, and other people in the public eye, see these sorts of malicious acts all the time. The questions is, which NBA stars have experienced something like this? In this article, we’ll be exploring some situations like this…

  1. Russell Westbrook

You might not be new to the story of Russell Westbrook. Although Russell has never brought a case against any of the individuals involved, it definitely sounds as though it could head that way now Russell Westbrook’s family are involved.

Westbrook has been taking criticism for much of his career, but it’s been taken to the next level since he came to the Los Angeles Lakers, so much so, that he refuses to let his family attend his games anymore.

Recently, Westbrook’s wife posted a thread of tweets calling out the media for slander towards her husband’s name. The media have settled on the mocking phrase “Westbrick”. Westbrook’s wife also went on to talk about how the family have been receiving death threats; another level of extreme.

Westbrook was asked about his wife’s comments, and he had a very detailed four minutes answer that was pretty heartbreaking. The comments were described as “the most vulnerable and honest as you’ll ever hear Westbrook being with the media.”

He ended saying that, when it comes to basketball, he doesn’t mind being criticised about his performance and shots, but he refuses to let his family be dragged into it. Understandably so.

  1. Kyle Rittenhouse and LeBron James

In recent news, Kyle Rittenhouse has added LeBron James to the long list of politicians and famous people he is suing for defamation.

Rittenhouse has decided to take this step after the “repeated threats and personal attacks he has received both in public and through the media.” He has stated that he wants people who have tarnished his name to be held accountable for their actions

It seems as though the people doing the trolling and name calling don’t think about the consequences to the individuals they are targeting. Trolling can have significant impacts on the mental health of those targeted. There are lots of resources available online if you have been subject to trolling and need mental health support.

  1. Sue Bird

WNBA star, Sue Bird, has been on the receiving end of trolling for much of her career, although mostly harmless with people challenging her to 1-on-1s. However, as pointed out in an interview with ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel, Sue and other women basketball players have been subjected to the trolling over how she compares to male players — even ones who never suited up professionally.

An article found that if you type in “1 on 1” and a WNBA star’s name into Twitter, you’ll see threads and threads of comments about how a common dude could beat a professional player (and not in the fun sports debate way). Is this never going to die among internet trolls?

Although Sue hasn’t brought a case against any of these individuals, it’s only time before someone does. And so they should!

  1. Eddie Arnet Johnson

Eddie Arnet Johnson sued both Bayless, host of the Jim Rome Show at the time and Tribune. Eddie Lee Johnson —who was an All-Star for the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s— not Eddie Arnet Johnson, was accused of sexually assaulting a young girl in Florida. He was later convicted and sentences to life in prison.

However, it was not Eddie Lee Johnson who the Tribune reported was the accuser, and Bayless subsequently ran the Tribune’s story, giving it national airtime. Johnson sued both the Tribune and Bayless, though an appeals court eventually found that there was no, “actual malice or disregard for the truth,” on the paper’s behalf.

Still, Johnson does seek to remind Bayless of his error when possible.

Worried about name and shame laws?

There are lots of resources out there where you can learn more about name and shame laws. But, a safe bet to avoiding any cases against you is to be careful about what you’re writing online. Remember, NBA stars, celebrities and other people in the public eye are humans too.

Do you have any top tips for dealing with trolling? Let us know in the comments below.

Photos by Sora Shumazaki – Pexels, Tracy le Blanc – Pexels, Pixabay – Pexels and Pixabay – Pexels.

Celebrities are unfortunately targeted by relentless trolling, and NBA stars aren’t immune. Here are four NBA cases involving trolling and lawsuits that might shock you.

Although you might not think it, name and shame laws are a thing and can have serious consequences. “Trolling” – the abuse of individuals online – can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communications Act 2003. So, it’s really worth thinking about what you’re posting online and sharing with news outlets.

Celebrities, and other people in the public eye, see these sorts of malicious acts all the time. The questions is, which NBA stars have experienced something like this? In this article, we’ll be exploring some situations like this…

  1. Russell Westbrook

You might not be new to the story of Russell Westbrook. Although Russell has never brought a case against any of the individuals involved, it definitely sounds as though it could head that way now Russell Westbrook’s family are involved.

Westbrook has been taking criticism for much of his career, but it’s been taken to the next level since he came to the Los Angeles Lakers, so much so, that he refuses to let his family attend his games anymore.

Recently, Westbrook’s wife posted a thread of tweets calling out the media for slander towards her husband’s name. The media have settled on the mocking phrase “Westbrick”. Westbrook’s wife also went on to talk about how the family have been receiving death threats; another level of extreme.

Westbrook was asked about his wife’s comments, and he had a very detailed four minutes answer that was pretty heartbreaking. The comments were described as “the most vulnerable and honest as you’ll ever hear Westbrook being with the media.”

He ended saying that, when it comes to basketball, he doesn’t mind being criticised about his performance and shots, but he refuses to let his family be dragged into it. Understandably so.

  1. Kyle Rittenhouse and LeBron James

In recent news, Kyle Rittenhouse has added LeBron James to the long list of politicians and famous people he is suing for defamation.

Rittenhouse has decided to take this step after the “repeated threats and personal attacks he has received both in public and through the media.” He has stated that he wants people who have tarnished his name to be held accountable for their actions

It seems as though the people doing the trolling and name calling don’t think about the consequences to the individuals they are targeting. Trolling can have significant impacts on the mental health of those targeted. There are lots of resources available online if you have been subject to trolling and need mental health support.

  1. Sue Bird

WNBA star, Sue Bird, has been on the receiving end of trolling for much of her career, although mostly harmless with people challenging her to 1-on-1s. However, as pointed out in an interview with ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel, Sue and other women basketball players have been subjected to the trolling over how she compares to male players — even ones who never suited up professionally.

An article found that if you type in “1 on 1” and a WNBA star’s name into Twitter, you’ll see threads and threads of comments about how a common dude could beat a professional player (and not in the fun sports debate way). Is this never going to die among internet trolls?

Although Sue hasn’t brought a case against any of these individuals, it’s only time before someone does. And so they should!

  1. Eddie Arnet Johnson

Eddie Arnet Johnson sued both Bayless, host of the Jim Rome Show at the time and Tribune. Eddie Lee Johnson —who was an All-Star for the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s— not Eddie Arnet Johnson, was accused of sexually assaulting a young girl in Florida. He was later convicted and sentences to life in prison.

However, it was not Eddie Lee Johnson who the Tribune reported was the accuser, and Bayless subsequently ran the Tribune’s story, giving it national airtime. Johnson sued both the Tribune and Bayless, though an appeals court eventually found that there was no, “actual malice or disregard for the truth,” on the paper’s behalf.

Still, Johnson does seek to remind Bayless of his error when possible.

Worried about name and shame laws?

There are lots of resources out there where you can learn more about name and shame laws. But, a safe bet to avoiding any cases against you is to be careful about what you’re writing online. Remember, NBA stars, celebrities and other people in the public eye are humans too.

Do you have any top tips for dealing with trolling? Let us know in the comments below.

Photos by Sora Shumazaki – Pexels, Tracy le Blanc – Pexels, Pixabay – Pexels and Pixabay – Pexels.

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