Russell Westbrook Articles - Page 64

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan’s graduate assistant at Florida, Matt McCall, thinks Donovan will have more ball movement next season sans Russell Westbrook. Donovan’s Thunder teams have finished last in the league in passes per game even though Westbrook averaged double-digit assists the last four seasons under Donovan. “It’s not a knock on […]

During an appearance on FS1’s First Things First on Wednesday, Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter revealed Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook has opened up nine book clubs around America. Kanter and Westbrook were teammates for three seasons on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The new Celtics center says players from the Thunder will tell you […]

Enes Kanter says Russell Westbrook is the best player and teammate he has ever played with in his NBA career. The two were teammates for three seasons on the Oklahoma City Thunder: "Russell Westbrook was the best player I've played with. … He's not just the best player, the best teammate I've had off the […]

Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard admits he was upset people tried to make it seem like he and Russell Westbrook hated each other. The Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder met in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, and Lillard and Westbrook went at it. Both stars trash-talked each other and made […]

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden recently hosted the third edition of his annual JH-Town Weekend charity event in Houston. One of the many highlights of the memorable weekend centered around new Rockets recruit Russell Westbrook, and how Harden seemed to have gone out of his way to give his old buddy a warm welcome. Common […]

Houston Rockets center Clint Capela rarely keeps two feet on the ground. Given the 6-foot-10 center’s proclivity to rise up for dunks, Capela recently expressed a desire to keep slamming home lobs. At a children’s event for Capela’s foundation, the 25-year-old told The Athletic’s Alykhan Bijani he’s “ready to catch more lobs.” Bijani adds that […]

With the polarizing acquisition of Russell Westbrook, the Rockets figure to be a part of the national NBA conversation for the fourth straight season. There are tons of storylines and questions that demand to be resolved this season, but today is not the day to preview that serious stuff. Today is the day we make […]

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he’s “not Russell Westbrook” and is going to be himself. Gilgeous-Alexander will be tasked with an impossible mission: trying to replace Westbrook as the Thunder’s point guard. OKC acquired Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. The youngster says he […]

Russell Westbrook is giving back to the community that raised him by building a tech program in Los Angeles. The goal of the program is to give at-risk youth better access to classrooms and learning facilities, which keeps them off the streets and increases their education. The Houston Rockets guard is enthusiastic about his newest […]

Houston Rockets 3-and-D specialist PJ Tucker is looking to gain major ground after what he feels was a 2018-19 season in which his team regressed, falling shy of the 65-win mark from 2017-18 and failing to reach the Western Conference Finals after once again running into their nemesis in the playoffs. Furthermore, Tucker is looking […]

There has been a lot of talk lately on how new Houston Rockets recruit Russell Westbrook will fit in as the new kid in town. Well, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey himself has shed some light into this rather mysterious predicament, saying that the team will be asking the former MVP to focus on transition […]

The Houston Rockets reportedly have made no decision whether they will rest James Harden and Russell Westbrook entire games next season, according to Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said last month the franchise will have a flexible plan to rest Harden, Westbrook and other key veterans next season. Last month, Houston […]

Houston Rockets power forward PJ Tucker says everyone in Houston is “excited” about adding former MVP Russell Westbrook. Tucker, though, knows the Rockets can’t skip steps next season and that there will be an adjustment period for everyone involved. The defensive ace says Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is really good at seeing how different […]

The Houston Rockets had plenty to discuss following their Western Conference semifinal loss to the Golden State Warriors. After the Dubs defeated Houston for the second consecutive season, it was clear that they needed something to get over the hump and emerge as the top contender in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, general manager Daryl Morey […]

Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill recently shared his two cents worth on what he believes motivated Russell Westbrook to make the big move to the Houston Rockets this summer. According to the 46-year-old former Rookie of the Year co-winner, Westbrook’s decision was primarily driven by the former MVP’s incessant desire to win. “I think […]

Last week, Marc Stein of The New York Times reported Houston Rockets star point guard Russell Westbrook agreed to amend the pay schedule on his contract to make payouts more team-friendly and less front-loaded. Stein provided more details in his latest newsletter: Russell Westbrook is owed $171.1 million over the final four years of his […]

The 2019 NBA offseason saw a wild wave of changes, with more than 200 players finding new homes in free agency, whether it was by a signing or a trade. NBA stars were not shy to make moves, as some of the game’s biggest names will now suit up in a different jersey. These are […]

Houston Rockets fans are excited to see what newly acquired point guard Russell Westbrook can bring to the table. The 2017 NBA MVP is an upgrade over an aging 34-year-old Chris Paul, but pundits are skeptical of how the dynamic between Westbrook and James Harden can work at this point in their careers. Former NBA […]

When the Houston Rockets acquired Russell Westbrook, skeptics immediately criticized his fit alongside James Harden. Many analysts and experts have discussed how the Harden and Westbrook can work once again now that they have reunited in Houston. Former NBA head coach Earl Watson spoke on the Maybe I’m Crazy podcast with Joy Taylor and suggested […]

Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker hates that people are only saying the Russell Westbrook-James Harden star pairing won’t work. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers have two dynamic duos as well, but pundits don’t seem to be skeptical about those duos as much as the Rockets’. “I hate when people talk about certain guys […]

To facilitate his trade to the Houston Rockets, former MVP Russell Westbrook agreed to amend the pay schedule on his contract to make payouts more team-friendly and less front-loaded, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. Westbrook signed a five-year, $206.8 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the summer of 2017. […]

Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker says he’s excited to play with former MVP Russell Westbrook next season. The Rockets acquired Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster trade involving Chris Paul. Houston is the only team in the NBA with two MVPs on its roster in Westbrook and James Harden. “[Westbrook] is another […]

Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum thinks Russell Westbrook and Paul George “stay together” on the Oklahoma City Thunder if OKC makes the 2019 Western Conference Finals instead of the Blazers. Portland defeated the Thunder in five games in the first-round of the playoffs. George requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers so […]

As the end of free agency comes to a close, we are seeing how the league’s 30 teams will present themselves this year. For many, the rosters will look very different. The Houston Rockets are part of this group. With the acquisition of former Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook, James Harden unites with his close […]

Some key NBA schedule dates have been revealed for the 2019-20 campaign, and among those dates is Jan. 9, when Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook will return to Oklahoma City to face his old Oklahoma City Thunder squad, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Westbrook was traded from Oklahoma City to Houston […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey says the franchise will have a flexible plan to rest James Harden, Russell Westbrook and other key veterans next season. Morey says the goal for every team is to have their best players fresh for the playoffs. The Rockets have title aspirations and will need Harden, Westbrook, Eric Gordon, […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believes superstar point guard Russell Westbrook is going to flourish in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s system. Morey says D’Antoni is great at adjusting his system for a player instead of asking the player to change his game. The Rockets’ architect also mentioned how Westbrook said at his introductory press […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey talked to superstar guard James Harden about acquiring Russell Westbrook the day after Paul George got traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Once George was traded to the Clippers, everyone in the league knew the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to trade Westbrook next. Harden and Westbrook are like […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey knew he had to acquire Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder once the former MVP was made available in trade talks. Morey, who is one of the more aggressive general managers in the NBA, says it’s his job to check in with teams who have really good players […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey noted he might try to indulge in some load management for his star duo of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, as both players are now at the point of their careers in which they should save some legs for the playoffs: #Rockets GM Daryl Morey when asked about load […]

Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard says he and Russell Westbrook “never” hated each other. During the first round of the 2019 playoffs, the Blazers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. Lillard and Westbrook had a back-and-forth in pretty much every game, prompting everyone to think the two superstars didn’t like […]

General manager Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets are leaving the NBA’s offseason and free agency in the rear view mirror — and they might have made the biggest trade during the fervent summer. Houston sent 34-year-old point guard Chris Paul and draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for star point guard and former […]

Trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook came as a surprise to a lot of people, including some within the Oklahoma City Thunder organization. George was traded from the Thunder to the Clippers earlier this month, joining former San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard. In the fallout of the trade, OKC was forced […]

As soon as the Houston Rockets acquired Russell Westbrook, skeptics immediately began to howl their concerns on his fit next to another ball-dominant player like James Harden. However, an opposing NBA coach who spoke with Keith Smith of RealGM during Summer League thinks Westbrook will have a field year playing off the ball: “I bet […]

Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey pounced on the opportunity when Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook became available for trade. Morey acquired Westbrook in exchange for 34-year old point guard Chris Paul and some draft picks. Of course, no one on the Rockets was more excited about the trade than Russ’ former teammate with the […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is a busy guy, but that doesn’t mean a car ride in an Uber could prevent him from completing one of the summer’s biggest moves—trading for Russell Westbrook. Per Jonathan Feigen in the Houston Chronicle: In the course of that 20-minute ride — with Morey and [EVP Rafael] Stone […]

In a summer full of shockers, the Houston Rockets and Daryl Morey made the most recent one by acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the deal, the Rockets’ GM didn’t believe they could actually pull off the trade for the 2017 NBA MVP. In fact, Daryl Morey already informed team owners […]

It’s hardly groundbreaking to submit that Russell Westbrook will receive a far different welcome in his initial return to Chesapeake Energy Arena as an opponent of the Oklahoma City Thunder than Kevin Durant did three years ago. Not only was Westbrook traded by the Thunder whereas Durant left in free agency, but the former’s departure […]

The Houston Rockets made a blockbuster trade earlier this month, acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul and a couple of draft picks. As one would expect, the move was somewhat polarizing on the part of the Rockets, as while a backcourt duo of James Harden and Westbrook is […]