Russell Westbrook has been one of the names to watch in the NBA for 17 seasons. At one point, he was even one of the most feared players on the court, but he has since become someone struggling for relevance. As he prepares for his 18th season in isolation, the future Hall of Famer currently finds himself without a team, leaving former teammates like Carmelo Anthony concerned.
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Last year, the former MVP showed glimpses of the old Russ. The 36-year-old became a valuable sixth man for the Denver Nuggets and played a key role in helping them reach the Western Conference Semifinals. Yes, he continued to build on his newer reputation of following brilliant plays with questionable ones, but he did step up in big moments on several occasions.
Still, he’s in a tough spot. With the season only a few weeks away, he could be looking at joining his seventh team since 2019. One person who offered some sound advice is Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks and Nuggets legend spoke about Westbrook on the latest edition of his 7PM In Brooklyn podcast.
The first question that was posed about Russ was whether he needs to adapt. “1000%,” responded Melo. “We all have to adapt. It’s a hard transition to adapt, especially when you’re being forced to adapt. It’s a difference in just being allowed to adapt as you go. You can’t adapt.”
To further drive home his point, Anthony highlighted the tough reality Westbrook now faces, as teams no longer see him as the explosive point guard he once was. He added that this means the current free agent needs to work even harder to prove he still belongs in the league.
“Now any situation that you go to, you’re voiceless in a sense. You’re going in as, ‘Oh we gonna bring Russ in. We gonna bring Russ in. Give us this, give us that.’ It ain’t, yo we got Russell Westbrook. We got Russ!'”
“So now the mindset and thought process of Russ coming into training camp later, it’s just looked upon totally different. So Russ has to work extra hard to keep that integrity and respect with this group. Sometimes you feel out of place. Sometimes you can start questioning yourself, you start second-guessing sh**.”
There will never be enough words to fully praise Westbrook, but this isn’t 2017. If he wants to keep playing the game he loves, he’s going to have to embrace a different type of role. Sure, he could go to Charlotte to help build the culture and get more playing time, but the one thing he’s never done is win a ring, and he would love to add that to his resume before he hangs them up.
“He’s not being blackballed,” Anthony further stated. “You have more of a case saying that I got blackballed. Russ ain’t get waived. He ain’t get cut. He was just a free agent and now you gotta go see where will he fit into our roster. Where will he feed into our system.”
Melo ended his message by reminding Russ of a hard truth: there is no going back to the past. “The corners that you got to turn in this part of your career is very unfortunate. I don’t want to say unfair, but unfortunate. You’ve got to go through this.”
It’s tough seeing Westbrook at this stage, but he’s far from finished. The same fire that made him a star can still drive him if he embraces a new role. By leaning into leadership and smart play, there’s still time for one more great run.
