The Sacramento Kings’ nightmare start to the season could be about to get worse, with their star big man reportedly wanting out amid growing frustration at the franchise.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to honour one of their greatest ever players, announcing plans to retire the iconic No. 0 jersey.
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THUNDER TO RETIRE WESTBROOK’S NO. 0 JERSEY
The Oklahoma City Thunder will retire the number “0” jersey of star guard Russell Westbrook at a February 7 home game against New York, the NBA club announced on Monday.
The 37-year-old guard announced his retirement in August after 18 NBA seasons in which he became the all-time league leader in triple doubles with 209.
Westbrook spent 11 seasons with the Thunder from 2008-2019 and had stints with Houston, Washington, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, Denver and Sacramento.
Westbrook won the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player award with the Thunder and led the club into the playoffs nine times, including four trips to the Western Conference finals and a run to the 2012 NBA Finals, where Oklahoma City lost to Miami.
The Thunder are set to honour one of the greatest players in franchise history.Source: AFP
“We are incredibly proud to retire Russell’s number,” Thunder chairman Clayton Bennett said.
“Russell made a lasting mark on the city and state during his time with the team, and his involvement in the community has endured long after.
“We are deeply grateful for his genuine care for the people of Oklahoma and he will always be considered a member of the Oklahoma City community.”
Westbrook, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, retired as Oklahoma City’s all-time leader in games played (821), points (18,859), rebounds (5,760), assists (6,897), steals (1,442), field goals made (6,626) and minutes played (28,329).
“Many players make an impact but only great players leave a legacy. Russell Westbrook’s legacy was built both on the court and in the community,” Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said.
“His mindset was relentless, his commitment deep. For all those reasons, Oklahomans consider him one of their own and his number will be raised to the rafters in Oklahoma City forever.”
In the 2016-17 campaign, Westbrook averaged an NBA-best 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists a game to become only the second player to average a triple double for a full season.
He had a single-season record 42 triple doubles in that MVP season.
Westbrook was a two-time NBA scoring champion, in 2015 and 2017, and a nine-time NBA All-Star plus a three-time NBA season assists leader — 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Westbrook appeared in 1,301 regular-season games, 1,133 as a starter, and had career averages of 20.9 points, 8.0 assists and 6.9 rebounds.
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SABONIS WANTS OUT AS KINGS DRAMA GROWS
Domantas Sabonis reportedly wants out of the Sacramento Kings, with the star big man unhappy following the team’s winless start to the season.
The Kings have opened their campaign with six straight losses, and it appears things could be getting worse, with ESPN’s Tim McMahon reporting that Sabonis wants out.
“Sabonis wants out of there, and if they can move him, they would,” McMahon said.
“He’s not happy.”
It comes after reports from Sean Deveney suggested Sabonis was ‘not enthused’ about playing alongside Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr, who was selected with the seventh pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Domantas Sabonis reportedly wants out of the Sacramento Kings.Source: Getty Images
Acuff Jr has been electric to start his NBA career, averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, including a 38-point explosion against the Memphis Grizzlies.
However, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, that could be part of the problem, with the NBA insider pointing to the difference in shot attempts between Acuff Jr and Sabonis against Memphis.
The rookie put up 25 field goal attempts in that contest, whilst Sabonis managed just five, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Sabonis was already linked to trade discussions during the off-season, with the Detroit Pistons emerging as a potential destination amid uncertainty surrounding Jalen Duren’s future.
The 30-year-old has played for three NBA teams throughout his career, having previously spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers before joining Sacramento.