The Los Angeles Lakers might well have torpedoed their chances at winning another championship after their 2020 “bubble” title during the Covid-19 pandemic just to bring in star guard Russell Westbrook from the Wizards. Remember, in the season following the bubble ring, the Lakers had a deal done that would have brought Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield to L.A. after a lengthy stretch of rumors about just such a move. Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma were set to go to Sacramento, with key defensive wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope staying put.
What happened next still depends on your perspective–some insist that Lakers star LeBron James intervened–but the end result was that the Kings deal was nixed and, in August 2021, the Harrell/Kuzma package was bolstered by the addition of Caldwell-Pope as the Lakers switched gears and brought in Westbrook.
It was a disaster move for L.A., as Westbrook spent a pretty miserable year-and-a-half with the Lakers before he was dumped with a first-round pick to the Jazz in February 2023.
Lakers Have a Message Despite Rocky History
Bygones can be bygones, though, and that the case for the Lakers, who on Thursday, sent a message to Westbrook following his retirement from the NBA.
“Congrats on a legendary career @russwest44,” the team wrote.
Westbrook announced his retirement on Wednesday (the Lakers were a bit busy at the time) after 18 seasons in the NBA, and while his time with the Lakers was forgettable, he did have a remarkable career which will certainly wind up with an induction at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in a few short years.
In his announcement, the 37-year-old Westbrook wrote, “Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.” The post is accompanied by a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan.
LeBron James Sends Message for Russell Westbrook
James, despite the rocky Lakers tenure together in which Westbrook clearly struggled to play a supporting role, also sent a message to Westbrook on Instagram: “HELLUVA CAREER BRODIE!! HOF next!!”
Westbrook had minimum contract offers from the Wizards and Kings when he decided to instead walk away. He averaged 15.2 points for Sacramento last season, and averaged 20.9 for his career, with 8.0 assists and 6.9 rebounds. Westbrook was on nine All-Star and All-NBA teams, and won an Olympic Gold Medal in 2012.
He was named the league’s MVP award in 2017, when he became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double for a full season, putting up 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists. He had an NBA-record 42 triple-doubles that season.
Lakers Send Message to Russell Westbrook After Announcement