Why ‘doubt’ excites Russell Westbrook about Kings’ new venture: NBC Sports Bay Area and California
An epic facial expression, a little trolling with a reporter in a back-and-forth exchange, and laughter filled the Kings’ practice facility Sunday morning.
Russell Westbrook has arrived.
“It feels great, really,” Westbrook said when asked how it feels to be a member of the Kings. “I’m happy to be able to have the opportunity to play and enjoy a place that wanted me to come here. So I’m grateful for that.”
Westbrook signed a one-year contract with Sacramento after a lengthy unrestricted free agency kept him without a team for about four months.
But alas, it has found its new home.
“I don’t know how it all happened so fast, but obviously I have a lot of friends and guys that I’ve played with before on this team,” Westbrook said. “Not only that, but an organization that [my agent] had been in contact, trying to figure out how to make it happen. With the salary cap and all these different rules that I’ve learned, things you can and can’t do, and things are intertwined that way. And now I’m here.”
Westbrook, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, is widely considered one of the hottest players and personalities in the league.
You love him… or you don’t. Regardless, Westbrook will never change who he is.
Entering his 18th year, symbolized by the number 18 jersey he will wear with the Kings, Westbrook is used to criticism.
“To be honest, it’s really been that way my whole career,” he said. “It’s nothing new, unfortunately. I’m grateful and blessed for the doubt, the ‘if I can and want to play’. I know what I’m capable of when I get the opportunity. So when the season starts, I’m going to do what I’ve always done and compete. There will be people who love it. There will be people who hate it. This is life for me. I didn’t make it past 18 by accident.
“I’m grateful. The weight has always been on my shoulders and it won’t go anywhere until I’m done playing.”
But Westbrook isn’t just motivated by the grudge on his shoulder, as outside doubts and criticisms of the Kings’ entire roster also light a fire under him.
“The doubt that everyone has against us,” Westbrook said when asked what intrigues him about the team.
The triple-double king spent last season with the Denver Nuggets, where in 75 games (36 starts), he averaged 13.3 points on 44.9% shooting from the field, with 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes.
He remains in top form among point guards across the league, while doing the things coach Doug Christie is looking for, such as rebounding, creating plays, providing great energy and chasing the defense.
His great drive and infectious energy are suited to the arena he will now call home.
Westbrook is looking forward to finally being at home among the “loud” crowd at Golden 1 Center after fans “talked a lot of shit to me when I was here” as an opponent throughout his career.
“Very excited. I think the fans are one of the reasons I love playing,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons why I continue to go out and give everything I have. Being on the side of the road, I know how great this fan base can be. I’m grateful and excited to be able to go out and have them on my side and feed off their energy.
“And yes, turn on the beam at the end.”
Westbrook is a nine-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-NBA member, former league MVP, two-time scoring champion and likely a future Hall of Famer.
After nearly two decades, accolades have become less and less important to him as being healthy and able to even set foot on the hardwood. While he acknowledged that winning a championship would be a great addition to his already illustrious NBA resume, he is more focused on making a lasting impact on the things he does and the people he meets.
This includes on and off the basketball court.
“I think since I’ve been in this league, leadership isn’t just something you guys see on the field,” he said. “My job, and I think one of my characteristics as a leader, is to be able to know the guys’ journey off the field, how they got to this point, what inspires them, what drives them. Being able to do that allows me to be a better teammate [and] a better brother to my teammates.
“For me, that’s what I’m most looking forward to. Being able to impact and inspire someone every day is always my goal: to meet someone and maybe be able to inspire them to do something they didn’t think they could do.”
It appears Christie and Westbrook are already on the same page when it comes to what the Kings expect from the star point guard in his first season with the team.
“I want Russ to be Russ,” Christie said last week.
It sounds cliché. It sounds like propaganda. Also a great PR response. But Russell Westbrook may be literally incapable of being anything but himself.
And he hopes Kings fans can appreciate that player and, more importantly, the person from Sacramento.
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