WASHINGTON -- Andray Blatche spoke candidly after the Washington Wizards' 120-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors about being booed by fans when he checked into the game, when he missed shots and when he committed turnovers. Blatche admitted that the booing really affects him and said he found it "very frustrating."
"It's tough when you're at home and people that are supposed to have your back don't have your back," he said. "Instead of encouraging you to get better, they actually push you down and make you worse. In the long run, it's not only hurting me, it's hurting my teammates."
"That's what I feel most upset about because I can't help out and perform for my teammates, because I'm letting the crowd get into my head and making me second-guess, not let me be the player that I am," he added. "It's very frustrating. Hopefully, I'm just trying to fight to overcome it."
Blatche admitted that the boos affect him every time he touches the ball, causing him to be hesitant.
"Any time I'm touching the ball, I'm second-guessing," he said. "I'm trying to avoid the boos, just trying to play a perfect game so I don't have to hear it and help my team win."
Randy Wittman was asked about Blatche's situation and gave a largely generic answer, saying "guys go through bad stretches, and we have to work through it and keep fighting." Trevor Booker, one of Blatche's best friends on the team, defended Blatche and sent a message to those fans.
"The fans need to realize he's a part of the team. If he's out there on the court, he's trying to help us win, so they should cheer him on instead of booing him. Booing him, it's hard for him to concentrate and play his game," he said.
Blatche also has another supporter in former teammate Dominic McGuire, now with the Golden State Warriors.
"To hear them boo Andray, that was crazy," he said. "You could tell it's affecting his game. He wasn't taking the shots he normally takes. He wasn't himself. When I tried to talk to him it was just like, 'Just keep playing. Keep your head up.' That's all you can do in that type of situation."
It's reached the point where years of frustration have built up, though, and it's hard to stop an angry mob like that. Blatche himself seemed out of answers by the end of his interview session, completely beaten down by the scorn.
"It got to the point now when I came to sub in, the boos are coming. They won't even give me a chance. So I don't know, I'm going to continue to try to work. Hopefully, something will happen for me. I don't know," he said.
-Michael Katz contributed reporting. Click here for the game recap.