He is no longer a marquee starter in the National Basketball Association, yet Russell Westbrook still gets after it.
One of the most talented players and triple-double machines in league history has always been pure heart and effort on the floor, especially in the playoffs. Westbrook was a part of the Los Angeles Clippers for 89 games, dating back to the remainder of the 2022-23 season. He played 68 games in the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 11.1 points per game.
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Westbrook, a California native, signed with the Denver Nuggets on July 26, 2024. He averaged 13.3 points per game as a rotational player off the bench through 75 matchups. The nine-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-NBA Team selection, two-time scoring champion, and 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player was huge for the Nuggets in its first round Western Conference playoff series against the Clippers.
He was charged up to face his old team and Westbrook delivered. Denver won the series, 4-3, as it went seven games.
Westbrook played in six of seven games — including Game 7 — averaging 13.8 points per game. He was instrumental in Game 7 for the Nuggets with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a 120-101 win over the Clippers.
Russell Westbrook ELIMINATES the Clippers less than a year after they traded him away ????
Westbrook averaged 13.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG & 2.8 APG this series for the Nuggets and was ENERGETIC off the bench ???? pic.twitter.com/5ZqGBTF75w
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) May 4, 2025
Westbrook now faces his second former team, Oklahoma City, in the second round.
Game one between Denver and the Thunder starts Monday night 8:30 p.m. on TNT.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him him X via @CoachingMSmith.
