Russell Westbrook retired from basketball two months ago, but people still remember his legacy and character.
One of those who honored him after his retirement announcement was his former Sacramento Kings teammate Zach LaVine, who gave Westbrook one of his biggest compliments.
LaVine, in his interview with ClutchPoints, said that Westbrook is one of the “best humans” you’d see, referring to their time together in Sacramento last season and the season they played against each other.
“I mean, Russ is one of the best humans I’ve met,” he said. “The dude has an energy like you’ve never seen before, and I played against him. I came to the league in 2014, a couple years later, I think he won MVP. It was hell trying to guard him when I was younger, especially when I was 19, 20 years old, and he’s going straight downhill at you.”
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Over the years, the two guards spent time working out, playing, and talking basketball together before finally becoming teammates in what had been Westbrook’s final year in the NBA.
“We’ve had plenty of conversations, and we’ve worked out together and played. But Russ is one of my good friends. My hat’s off to him for a hell of a career. He had a lot more to give to basketball too. He could have kept playing, but I’m glad that he walked away on his own terms because not everybody gets to do that,” he added.
Both LaVine and Westbrook attended UCLA, which established a foundational connection in their basketball journeys.
Over his 18 seasons, Westbrook played for seven different franchises, most notably starring for the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he won the 2017 NBA MVP award.
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While many gave Westbrook some emotional messages, no one had more weight in his tribute than Kevin Durant, who shared his first few years in the NBA in OKC.
“A lot of people looked at the emotions on the court and thought Russ was loud, nah to me, he was quiet and methodical. He lead by example and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom.
“It was inspiring as his teammate and everywhere I went, I seen it inspire people from all walks of life, crazy thing is, he didn’t say much, he just showed up. For 18 years. This basketball life is sacred to us as professionals, what we put into that court means everything. Some of us wish we could go back and do things with a little more intent and some can just wipe their hands and be satisfied with the time spent. Who u gonna be? We know what zero was on…keep inspiring in the next phase of life champ.
“I don’t care what happens, can’t erase what it was…The first YNs, finals run in our early 20s, all star games, seeing each other get injured and bounce back, the bus rides, plane rides, card games, jokes and arguments, the whole thing, memorable!!…to the whole Westbrook family, Nina, the kids, mama Westbrook, big Russ, Ray, Donnell, everybody from luezinger high and ucla and many more that I’m forgettin, much love and Congratulations on a iconic career.”
Durant and Westbrook share a long, complicated history that evolved from a brotherhood in OKC to a public rivalry, and finally into mutual respect and a professional bond in the twilight of their careers.
Russell Westbrook Receives Huge Compliment From 2-Time All-Star