Russell Westbrook Articles - Page 65

Former NBA star Kenyon Martin has remained one of the more outspoken personalities in the basketball community since his retirement in 2015, and he has an interesting take on the Oklahoma City Thunder electing to trade Paul George and Russell Westbrook After the BIG3 held a showcase in Oklahoma City on Sunday, Martin told Erik […]

Houston Rockets star guard James Harden says he and new teammate Russell Westbrook are always trying to get better so they can capture that elusive first championship. Harden and Westbrook are two of the hardest working players in the league. The two MVPs are constantly in the gym working on their craft so they can […]

By winning the Russell Westbrook lottery, the Houston Rockets have successfully propelled themselves into the conversation of title contenders for the upcoming season. By pairing two of the league’s Most Valuable Player winners in the past three years, Houston have formed one of the most dynamic, exciting, and at the same time mind-boggling backcourt duos […]

LAS VEGAS – Hamidou Diallo was informed of the news immediately after wrapping up a 14 point, seven rebound performance for the Oklahoma City Thunder. His team just grabbed a big Summer League victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the focus of Diallo’s postgame interview was the trade of Russell Westbrook to the Houston […]

When the Houston Rockets acquired former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul and picks, it could only mean one thing: time to put up or shut up. Via Evan McIntyre of The Athletic, a source close to the Rockets organization echoes that sentiment. “We’re trying to win […]

Speaking at an Adidas event, Houston Rockets star James Harden commented on his highly anticipated partnership with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate and former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. Harden shared his excitement to play alongside Westbrook once again. And despite questions about their fit, the 2018 NBA MVP said that their partnership is “going to […]

Head coach Mike D’Antoni says the Houston Rockets need Russell Westbrook’s rebounding skills and athleticism. Westbrook is one of the most explosive point guards in NBA history, and he has averaged a triple-double three seasons in a row now. Mike D’Antoni is looking forward to the former MVP helping out the Rockets on the glass. […]

Houston Rockets superstar guard James Harden admits he watched Russell Westbrook from afar even after he left the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder traded Harden to the Rockets in 2012. Harden and Westbrook are very close friends, and The Beard enjoys watching Russ play: James Harden on Russell Westbrook: "Even after I left Oklahoma City, […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni believes Rockets fans “will appreciate the intensity” Russell Westbrook plays with on a nightly basis. Westbrook is arguably the most passionate player in the NBA. He leaves it all on the floor every night. Mike D'Antoni on Russell Westbrook: "What you see is what you get. You get a […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni admits he would be “disappointed” if Russell Westbrook’s 3-point shooting didn’t improve in Houston next season. Westbrook shot a putrid 29.0 percent from beyond the arc in 2018-19 with the Oklahoma City Thunder and is a career 30.8 percent shooter from deep. D’Antoni thinks the former MVP can get […]

James Harden believes it should be “an easy transition” for the Houston Rockets to incorporate Russell Westbrook into the team’s offense. Harden says because he and Westbrook both trust each other, the duo will be able to play together on the court despite critics saying the two MVPs won’t be able to co-exist: . @JHarden13 […]

The Kawhi Leonard summer of mystery still is the gift that keeps on giving, even two weeks after he announced his commitment to the LA Clippers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Clippers also eyed Russell Westbrook as a potential partner for Leonard, but Kawhi preferred Paul George: “Sam, I began to hear […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder engaged in trade conversations with the Miami Heat during a stretch, as they tried to deal franchise point guard Russell Westbrook. While there had been reported interest in rookie Tyler Herro, center Bam Adebayo and swingman Justise Winslow, the Thunder were willing to give the Heat their 2021 and 2023 picks […]

Los Angeles Clippers guard and former Houston Rocket Patrick Beverley thinks the Russell Westbrook-James Harden pairing in Houston is going to work. The Rockets acquired Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster trade. Houston sent Chris Paul and draft picks to OKC. Beverley, who doesn’t have the best relationship with Westbrook, is happy […]

The Miami Heat were actively trying to acquire Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder before the former MVP was shipped to the Houston Rockets. The same can’t be said about the Heat’s interest in Chris Paul. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the level of enthusiasm for Paul inside the Heat organization […]

The New York Knicks were never truly interested in trading for Russell Westbrook, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports. Despite having struck out in free agency after whiffing on the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard, the Knicks remained committed to their rebuild by keeping their young assets and sustaining […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni doubles down on his belief that they are the favorites to win the Western Conference after acquiring Russell Westbrook this summer. D’Antoni believes the Rockets have earned the rights to be considered as favorites. Despite the setbacks in the past two seasons, the veteran head coach sounded more confident […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is thrilled that he will have one-less headache starting next season. D’Antoni is glad that the Rockets now have Russell Westbrook, saying that the explosive point guard gave him a lot to think of in the past several seasons. The veteran coach admitted that he hated going to Oklahoma […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets pulled off what initially seemed like an impossible trade to once again jumpstart what has been an incredibly action-packed offseason. With All-NBA point guard Russell Westbrook heading from Oklahoma City to Houston, the Thunder most notably received fellow All-Star point guard Chris Paul in return. However, the plot […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder made the Russell Westbrook trade official on Tuesday, with fans saying goodbye to the 30-year-old who spent his entire 11-year NBA career thus far with the Thunder. OKC general manager Sam Presti had some words of praise for the departing Westbrook too. Presti has been with the organization since its relocation […]

The Houston Rockets have officially acquired superstar point guard Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul and two protected first round picks. Westbrook is reuniting with James Harden on the Rockets. The two were teammates on the Thunder and are very close friends off the court. https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1151284269895028739 Russell Westbrook and […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder were reportedly preparing to trade superstar point guard Russell Westbrook in the summer of 2020 prior to the Paul George trade to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Once George demanded a trade from the Thunder to the Clippers, OKC’s front office knew it […]

When the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets, Houston immediately became home to two of the most ball-dominant players in the league. Fans immediately questioned whether Westbrook could fit in with fellow former MVP James Harden with only one basketball on the court. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni attempted to assuage […]

Even after a major roster change, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni claims that he will not be changing the team’s strategy much this offseason. In fact, he claims critics of the team’s system are full of it: “We’re not changing much,” D’Antoni said on the “The Woj Pod” while discussing the addition of Westbrook. […]

The Houston Rockets were having an uncharacteristically quiet offseason until late last week, when they swung a blockbuster trade that sent Chris Paul and draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook. It was an odd trade, to say the least, but you just knew the Rockets couldn’t detached from the offseason festivities. […]

There’s a fair amount of skepticism to be gleaned from the pairing of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Jalen Rose, though, clearly believes the NBA’s latest superstar tandem has the potential to help the Houston Rockets reach new heights. On Monday’s edition of Get Up, the ESPN analyst dismissed questions about the fit of Harden […]

While rumors pertaining to Chris Paul’s impending exit from the Houston Rockets were already rumbling as soon as the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in this past season’s Western Conference Semifinals, his recent trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder apparently still came as a shock for most of his Rockets teammates. According to […]

The Houston Rockets recently added another piece to their puzzle by agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran big man Tyson Chandler. This was by no means an earth-shattering deal, but one that should definitely work in the favor of the Rockets as they acquire the services of a highly experienced big. In his recent article […]

The trade for Russell Westbrook was one felt across the Western Conference, as another team loaded up ahead of this 2019-20 season while several executives questioned how it even came to be. The pairing of Westbrook and franchise star James Harden has been met with plenty of skepticism, with questions regarding whether a Harden-Westbrook partnership could […]

Plenty of good storylines are already set for the 2019-20 NBA season. Among them is the reuniting of former Oklahoma City Thunder draftees Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who will team up with the Houston Rockets after Westbrook was sent to Houston in exchange for Chris Paul and a number of future draft considerations. But […]

Will former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden make it work in Houston? That’s the question everyone in the Rockets organization is asking themselves following Houston’s megadeal to acquire former league MVP Westbrook from the Thunder for All-Star point guard Chris Paul and picks. Harden last played for OKC when he went […]

The Houston Rockets reportedly plan to stagger James Harden and Russell Westbrook, meaning the two superstars won’t share that much time together on the court, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Both Harden and Westbrook are ball-dominant players. The two MVPs will obviously start and finish games together, but Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni plans […]

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have a famously shaky relationship. The former teammates turned enemies always have something to say to each other when they face off on the court. It seems like Westbrook has never forgiven Durant for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in 2016. So when a comedian […]

Russell Westbrook was already earning a handsome salary after he signed a five-year, $205 million salary with the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2017. However, he is going to be saving that much more money after being traded to the Houston Rockets. According to Forbes writer Sean Packard, Westbrook will save $10 million in taxes […]

When Paul George spurned the Los Angeles Lakers to sign a four-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer, it seemed as though he was committing to a partnership with Russell Westbrook that both hoped would yield a championship. But after the Thunder were bounced in the first round of the playoffs for the […]

A lot has changed for the Oklahoma City Thunder since the team moved from Seattle in 2008. One constant throughout the years has been point guard Russell Westbrook, who developed into one of the best players in the game while winning the MVP in 2017 and racking up triple-doubles on a nightly basis. However, all […]

It’s easy to be critical of the Houston Rockets’ acquisition of Russell Westbrook. It’s still unclear who they were bidding against for a player on the downside of his career due approximately $170 million over the next four seasons. Prior to the trade, it was unclear whether or not Westbrook was a positive trade asset, […]

Houston Rockets superstar guard Russell Westbrook (it’s still weird to say that) has a big fan in an NBA front office somewhere. An anonymous NBA executive spoke glowingly about Westbrook after the Rockets agreed to a deal to acquire the former MVP from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. “I love everything [Westbrook] stands for […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves never had interest in trading for Russell Westbrook and won’t pursue Chris Paul either, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The Timberwolves lost Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones in free agency. Minnesota currently has two point guards on the roster: Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier, although Tyrone Wallace can play the […]