Russell Westbrook Surprisingly Refuses to Sign Fan’s Lakers Jersey: NBC Sports Bay Area and California
Russell Westbrook isn’t interested in revisiting his Los Angeles Lakers days, at least not with a marker in hand.
During the Kings’ preseason game against the Lakers, Westbrook greeted a line of young fans holding jerseys from every team he played for during his NBA career. He signed two Oklahoma City Thunder jerseys, skipped two Lakers jerseys and then signed a Houston Rockets jersey.
“I don’t know if I’ll sign that jersey,” Westbrook said. “I’ll sign something else for you, though.”
The clip surfaced shortly after Westbrook agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million free agent contract with the Kings.
Westbrook’s journey to Sacramento has been long and winding. When he joined the Lakers in 2021, expectations were sky high, but the situation quickly soured. Westbrook’s ball-dominant style clashed with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and his shooting inconsistencies have become a lightning rod for criticism throughout the 2021-22 NBA season.
In February 2023, the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade, ending his turbulent time in the purple and gold. Utah bought out his contract within days, clearing the way for him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
In the summer of 2024, the Clippers once again traded Westbrook to Utah in a sign-and-trade, and he was promptly waived. He then signed with the Denver Nuggets, where he continued to add to his storied resume, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 200 career triple-doubles and later surpass 26,000 career points.
Now 36, Westbrook joins Sacramento as one of the most experienced and accomplished guards in the NBA — and, judging by his reaction to those Lakers jerseys, a man ready to fully embrace his next chapter.
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