Russell Westbrook`s departure from Oklahoma City did not leave the bitter feelings associated with Kevin Durant`s 2016 exit or James Harden`s in 2013. Those partings were tumultuous; Westbrook`s, while initiated by him behind the scenes, was notably cleaner.
So, when he entered Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter, the crowd paused its “MVP” chants for current Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to offer a standing ovation for their former idol.
Unexpectedly for the home fans, this moment seemed to ignite Westbrook. He delivered several crucial plays late in the game as the Nuggets erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. His final impactful action came when it mattered most.
With just over eight seconds left, Denver trailing 119-118, Nuggets guard Christian Braun secured a rebound on the right wing and immediately launched an outlet pass. It found Westbrook, who was tearing down the right sideline with a burst of speed that appears uniquely his.
In a moment of destiny, with the game hanging in the balance, Westbrook faced a pivotal decision. Everyone watching assumed he would drive directly into the heart of the Thunder defense, attempting a potential game-winning shot. Both the Nuggets and the Thunder were familiar with this tendency, experiencing varied outcomes.
Thunder center Chet Holmgren sagged back defensively, hoping to box Westbrook into a difficult choice: either challenge the big man at the rim or attempt a contested pull-up three. It was a direct challenge, and Westbrook typically confronts such tests head-on.
Even Denver`s broadcast team anticipated Westbrook`s usual aggressive approach. In a span of roughly three seconds, their reaction captured the full spectrum of the Russell Westbrook experience.
With 7.2 seconds remaining, Westbrook received Braun`s pass and accelerated. First, he drove towards Thunder forward Jalen Williams, then veered towards the imposing rim protector, Holmgren.
Broadcast reactions filled the air: “No, no, no. No! Noooo!” followed by “Oh, geez!”
Then, in stunned silence, they watched their screens in disbelief. Westbrook did not charge into the 7-footer, risking a turnover or poor shot. Nor did he stop beyond the three-point line to heave a shot of his own.
Instead, he delivered a flawless pass to a wide-open Aaron Gordon on the left wing. With 2.8 seconds left, Gordon`s 25-footer rattled in, granting the Nuggets an improbable 121-119 lead.
Postgame, Westbrook explained his thought process: “I saw Chet in the paint, and my job is to drive and kick,” he stated. “AG was ready to shoot it. He`s been making big shots all year long.”
Whether this instance of calculated decision-making is an isolated event or a sign of genuine growth remains uncertain.
This Nuggets roster has achieved a championship, an accomplishment Westbrook is still pursuing. On nights like this, there`s a sense that the team`s championship pedigree is influencing Westbrook. On other nights, the opposite feels true.
“This is a veteran group, guys have been here before,” Westbrook commented. “It`s very helpful when your brother has your back. I thought we did a good job of just having each other`s back, through all the ups and downs, good calls, bad calls, missed shots, turnovers.”
In many respects, Westbrook`s tenure reflects the journey of the 2024-25 Nuggets – marked by extreme peaks and valleys. The highs include game-winning surges, effective two-man plays with Nikola Jokic, and spectacular rebounds and defensive efforts. The lows involve inexplicable missed layups, poor shooting slumps, questionable decisions, perceived lack of accountability, and disruptions to the team`s previously harmonious locker room.
The Nuggets themselves are unsure how this experiment will conclude. Their championship aspirations, however, might significantly depend on the performance and consistency of the league`s most high-variance, unpredictable player.
IF YOU WERE to close your eyes and observe Westbrook warming up on the Paycom Center court three hours before Games 1 and 2, you might feel transported back in time.
At 36, Westbrook still physically resembles the prime 30-year-old who electrified this arena during his peak years. His physique remains chiseled; his precise warmup ritual begins and ends at the exact times it always did.
The only notable difference is his warming up at the opposite basket and running to a different hallway after attempting his final corner shot.
He grants himself two attempts at this shot. Success on the first sends him sprinting off happily. Making the second yields the same result. Missing both still prompts a sprint to the hallway, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm. For Westbrook, routine supersedes immediate outcome.
He has returned to Oklahoma City as an opponent with several teams – the Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, and Clippers. Yet, this time feels distinct. Perhaps it`s because their beloved former star now stands in the path of the next promising team that emerged after his departure. Perhaps it`s because he`s older and hasn`t found a connection as strong as the one he left behind in OKC since 2019.
The story of how Westbrook joined the Denver Nuggets is not a simple one. It wasn`t merely the final stop on a declining career path or a spontaneous idea from the enigmatic genius, Jokic.
The Nuggets had been interested in acquiring Westbrook for several years before finally signing him as a free agent last offseason. This came after the LA Clippers, like previous teams, concluded that the complete Westbrook experience was no longer worth the cost.
Discussions about signing him occurred after the Lakers traded him to the Utah Jazz in February 2023, where he was subsequently bought out. Inside the Nuggets organization, some believed their roster of hardworking, highly skilled, yet somewhat reserved players needed a jolt of “spice,” as team president Josh Kroenke described Westbrook, to overcome the playoff barriers they repeatedly encountered.
Few players in the league can inject the kind of energy into a team that Westbrook provides. However, harnessing that energy effectively has proven nearly impossible.
Nonetheless, the concept remained appealing to the Nuggets then because they believed Jokic, the reigning best player in the world, was in his prime, and they recognized that a championship window can close rapidly when a team repeatedly hits the same obstacles.
Ultimately, sources indicate, the Nuggets opted against signing him initially, concerned Westbrook might destabilize the locker room and undermine the confidence of point guard Jamal Murray.
That decision proved astute. The Nuggets secured their first championship just months later.
However, the past offseason presented a different scenario. They did not defend their title successfully the following season, regressing and losing in the second round again. Key role players had departed in free agency, and their replacements among the younger players were slow to develop. The team felt this couldn`t happen again, especially with Jokic performing at an even higher level in his age-30 season.
Thus, the Nuggets pursued Westbrook, fully aware that he represents a walking list of pros and cons.
On the positive side: Westbrook is fiery, focused, relentlessly competitive, and remarkably durable.
On the negative: He can be moody, prone to turnovers, stubborn, and exhibit immaturity when things don`t go his way.
All of these traits, and more, have been on full display this season. At times, Westbrook has been precisely what the Nuggets needed; at others, he has contributed to their struggles. He has singularly influenced game outcomes, winning some and losing others. He has inspired both strong loyalty and significant frustration among teammates, occasionally on the same day.
The team is acutely aware of the challenges in relying on such an unpredictable player, and perhaps Westbrook himself understands this dynamic.
“My ability to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on,” Westbrook stated after helping the Nuggets eliminate the Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round series. “Whatever that looks like – it may be a turnover, a missed shot, a steal, a dunk, a missed 3, a made 3 – it`s going to be all of that. You take it for how it comes, and whatever happens, you go with it. I`ve always been like that.”
On April 1st, the Nuggets experienced the full spectrum of this volatility within a mere 15 seconds.
With 14.2 seconds left in double overtime, the Nuggets holding a 139-138 lead, Westbrook intercepted an Anthony Edwards pass. He sprinted down the court, poised to seal a game where Jokic had posted a 60-point triple-double.
However, Westbrook missed the point-blank layup, leaving precious time on the clock for another Timberwolves possession.
On the ensuing play, Westbrook lagged defensively and failed to spot an open Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the corner. Sprinting to recover, he fouled Alexander-Walker while he was shooting. Alexander-Walker converted all three free throws, swinging the game for Minnesota.
It was a devastating loss, and Westbrook did not publicly address his role in it for several days.
Eight days later, interim coach David Adelman demonstrated a firmer approach to managing Westbrook. Multiple sources indicated that former coach Mike Malone had afforded Westbrook the same degree of latitude given to Jokic and Murray, which caused friction with some team members. Ironically, Westbrook wasn`t present when Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were fired, and Adelman assumed the interim role, as he had been granted permission for an off-day at his Los Angeles home. This absence even sparked internal debate about whether he should return to Denver immediately or meet the team later, as originally planned, in Sacramento. He ultimately joined them in Sacramento.
In Adelman`s very first game in charge, after Westbrook missed a three-pointer, a short jumper, and a layup on consecutive possessions early in the fourth quarter, Adelman substituted him for second-year point guard Jalen Pickett. Pickett played the remainder of the crunch-time minutes as Denver narrowly secured a win, ending a four-game losing streak. Westbrook finished the game with a season-low 17 minutes.
The message was clear.
The unpredictable ride continued into the early stages of the playoffs.
Following a first-round loss where Westbrook noticeably displayed frustration upon being substituted late, one player reportedly told ESPN, “It`s crazy. [He`s] changed the entire vibe and spirit of our team.”
Conversely, after another game, an assistant coach told ESPN, “Russ was competing his ass off. I can`t believe he`s still doing this in Year 17. I wish we had 10 of him.”
MERE MINUTES AFTER the Nuggets lost Game 2 of their first-round series against the Clippers, Adelman faced a new challenge.
While Adelman was at the postgame press conference, a heated discussion erupted between Westbrook and Aaron Gordon in the locker room, according to multiple sources. Gordon had reportedly confronted Westbrook regarding his attitude.
Outside the locker room, a player offered perspective on Gordon`s actions: “He`s so immature,” he said of Westbrook.
Their season hung precariously, teetering towards a chaotic and dysfunctional conclusion after the firings of Malone and Booth just three games before the end of the regular season.
Instead, this incident seemed to mark the turning point.
The Nuggets proceeded to win three of their next four games to dispatch the Clippers, culminating in a dominant Game 7 victory. In that decisive game, Westbrook contributed 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting, along with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. During the crucial second quarter, where Denver outscored LA 37-21, Westbrook played the entire 12 minutes, scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, adding 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
“The great thing about this team is we`re not afraid to talk honestly with each other,” a player told ESPN regarding the Game 2 disagreement, “and hold each other accountable.”
Such sentiments often emerge after victories. And for the moment, Westbrook and the Nuggets are locked in a fierce, wrestling-style battle with the previously dominant Thunder. Each game feels like an epic struggle. Players appear exhausted – except for the one who still possesses boundless energy.
“We`ve turned the page throughout the year,” Westbrook commented after the Game 1 win against the Thunder. “There were some ups and downs, but we`ve done a good job of honing in on mistakes and then owning them. Addressing them and communicating. If you want to go a long way in this playoff run, I think you got to be honest with each other.”
These are not statements Westbrook has typically made before, anywhere.
In many ways, his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness – his unwavering nature, regardless of pressure or circumstance. He dismisses the idea of compromise. He nearly played himself out of the league rather than accept a bench role with the Lakers, leading his former agent to sever ties.
“I can`t see another team doing it,” one team source remarked about the Nuggets` signing Westbrook, following his unceremonious endings with his four previous teams, “but I never thought we would do it.”
What is undeniable, however, is that they felt they had no other option. And without him, they wouldn`t be in this position.
