Real recognizes real.
Former NBA guard Dwyane Wade, who spent most of his Hall of Fame career with the Miami Heat, believes that Kings guard Russell Westbrook‘s career, much like his own, doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
“Russ is having one of the most underappreciated careers that we will see,” Wade said on his “The Check-in” podcast. “There’s guys that come along, one that’s sitting in front of you, that careers get undervalued and underappreciated for whatever the reasons are. But in his own right, just one of the GOAT careers because it’s just customized and no one has one like it.
“No one has a career like Russell Westbrook, and no one plays the game like Russell Westbrook. He’s a 1 of 1. It’s just phenomenal to see him in maybe [Year 18], whatever year he’s in right now, where he’s still athletic, he still plays the game the same way he did when we first got introduced to Russ. It’s just incredible to watch. He’s one of the most athletic human beings we’ve ever seen. So it’s really cool. Congrats to Russ on that.”
Westbrook signed with Sacramento for the 2025-26 season, and in Year 18, he has shown no signs of slowing down.
In 64 games (58 starts) with the Kings thus far, Westbrook is averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 29 minutes. He also has reached tons of career milestones this season, including moving up on the NBA’s all-time scoring and assists leaderboard, respectively.
He turned 37 in November.
Aside from Westbrook’s maintained impact on the court for nearly two decades, this season with the Kings has been all about his leadership off of it.
The Kings, last in the Western Conference with a 19-57 record, shifted their focus this season to developing their youth, and it’s been Westbrook who has been by their side, guiding them along the way.
As Wade said, no one’s career compares to Westbrook’s.
And that story is still being written.
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