As Russell Westbrook received his usual pregame standing ovation, fans had to have the cynical thought in the back of their minds at the very least — was the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 113-99 win over the Sacramento Kings possibly the last time he’ll play at OKC?
In an otherwise putrid season, Westbrook has been a rare bright spot for the Kings. For most of the offseason, it felt like the 37-year-old would be without an NBA home for the first time in his career to start the regular season. He finally signed with Sacramento last minute.
And so far, you could make the argument that Westbrook has been their best player. Not a ringing endorsement for a Kings team filled with future Hall-of-Famers. That said, he had seven points, 11 rebounds and six assists against the Thunder.
To start, Westbrook ripped the ball away from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a couple of times. A rare sight from one of the best ball-security players in the league. There’s always some extra motivation in that matchup, as the former has usurped the latter for the semantical title of best OKC player in franchise history after he won an NBA championship last year.
Let’s see how the rest of the season plays out, but there’s a non-zero chance that this is Westbrook’s last season. I know he said he wants to keep playing, but that’s not a one-party decision. On his seventh team, he’s running out of options at this point.
But that’s a conversation for another day. Right now, Westbrook has produced more than what his one-year deal would suggest. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault believes that speaks to his incredible longevity in the NBA.
“He’s timeless. Even his pop athletically is still pretty high for a guy that’s in Year 18. It’s pretty incredible he’s able to play at that level still. The great players evolve. They evolve their game,” Daigneault said. “They don’t stay the same before, during and after their prime. He wouldn’t be able to play in the NBA at the level he’s playing in his 18th season if he wasn’t evolving.”
To go from a one-time MVP winner to a role player is a tough pill to swallow for most players with similar resumes to Westbrook. But his passion for basketball has overpowered that ego bruise. He just wants to keep playing. And every time he’s allowed to do so, he’s produced on the court.
“It’s a credit to the work he’s put in,” Daigneault said. “And the mentality he’s taken at this stage of his career.”
