Russell Westbrook Denies Kid An Autograph, But Was Everything As It Appeared?

Russell Westbrook denied a young kid an autograph, but it might not have been as simple as it appeared.

In a video shared by TikTok user @jaiglezvideos, the Los Angeles Lakers guard was asked by a young kid to autograph a jersey while outside a New York City hotel ahead of a game against the Knicks.

Despite clearly seeing the kid, Westbrook just walked right past him into the hotel.

Is Russell Westbrook the bad guy in this situation?

It's really easy to want to crush Westbrook here. How could a celebrity say no to a little kid? How could an NBA star not take 10 seconds to acknowledge a child wanting an autograph?

Well, let's put on our detective cap for a second and break down the evidence in front of us. First and foremost, how the hell did a little kid know what hotel Russell Westbrook would be at and have a jersey ready?

Russell Westbrook doesn't sign an autograph for a young kid. (Credit: Screenshot/TikTok Video https://www.tiktok.com/@jaiglezvideos/video/7194279745326976302)

That seems incredibly unlikely. Is there a chance a little kid found out what hotel the Lakers were in and convinced his parents to take him there to wait outside? Sure, but that seems like it's almost certainly not what happened here. Possible, but not probable.

We know some adult autograph seekers use their children to try to score signatures that can be sold online. There was a very similar incident involving Mike Trout where the kids asking him for his autograph clearly had no idea who he was.

In fact, the young boy had to more or less motion to make sure Trout was the right guy.

Secondly, the account that shared this video - @jaiglezvideos - appears dedicated to hounding celebrities. Read into that as much as you'd like, but that's definitely a red flag.

This video appearing on an account that follows what celebrities around hardly makes me think it's organic.

In fact, it makes me think it's the exact opposite. It's definitely a point in the column for the adult using a child to gain an auto here.

Lakers star Russell Westbrook doesn't sign an autograph for a young kid. (Credit: Screenshot/TikTok Video https://www.tiktok.com/@jaiglezvideos/video/7194279745326976302)

Keep your head on a swivel and recognize this situation is not likely as nearly as simple as it looks at first glance. Westbrook might not be the villain here. He simply might have sniffed out a suspicious situation.