“I thought I’d seen the worst. Then Christmas came. It topped it. It just topped it." Tom Izzo said after NBA draft pick James Nnaji got eligibility.
Steph Curry rocks sentimental pair of Nike Kobe 11 shoes for Warriors-Raptors
Steph Curry rocks sentimental pair of Nike Kobe 11 shoes for Warriors-Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry’s sneaker free-agency tour continued Sunday in Toronto.
And the Warriors superstar’s choice of footwear for Sunday’s game against the Raptors was extra intentional and sentimental.
During pregame warmups, Curry rocked the “Northern Lights” Nike Kobe 11, the shoes that late NBA legend Kobe Bryant wore during his final All-Star Game in 2016 in Toronto.
He kept the sneakers on throughout the game, too.
It isn’t the first time Curry paid homage to Bryant.
In fact, during his first day of sneaker free agency after parting ways with Under Armour, Curry wore Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes while warming up before the Warriors’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 14.
After that game, Curry explained his decision.
“I know it’s weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes, but just the idea of what he meant — I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. That specific pair, I think it speaks for itself, what it means,” Curry told reporters after the win. “Other than that, just something I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. I think it gave me some good energy tonight.”
Earlier Sunday, Curry arrived to Scotiabank Arena wearing rapper Drake’s Nike NOCTA Glide.
It’s clear Curry is having fun with his free agency.
Antetokounmpo returns to lead Bucks past Bulls
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 29 points on his return from injury as the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 112-103 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo had missed eight games with a right calf strain, with the Bucks losing six of those matches.
The defeat for Chicago ended their five-game winning streak, but they still sit ninth and two places above Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama also made his return from injury, but his San Antonio Spurs fell to a 127-114 defeat by the Utah Jazz.
Wembanyama scored 32 points in his first start since 14 November, but 29 points from Lauri Markkanen and 28 from Keyonte George were enough for the Jazz to end Spurs' eight-game winning streak.
Anthony Black scored a career-high 38 points as the Orlando Magic beat the Denver Nuggets 127-126 despite another triple-double by Nikola Jokic.
With 21 rebounds and 12 assists, Jokic earned the 180th triple-double of his career, putting him just one behind Oscar Robertson for the second most in history.
The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-125, while the Sacramento Kings secured just their second win in eight games with a 113-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Schedule Primer: Giannis Antetokounmpo is back!
With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the next major holiday on the calendar is New Year's Day. The good news for fantasy managers is that the five-game slate does not have a game that begins before 6 pm Eastern, so those who may have had a little too much fun the night prior will have time to set their rosters. However, there is a 1 pm Eastern game on New Year's Eve as part of a nine-game schedule, with the Warriors visiting the Hornets. That qualifies as the lone scheduling quirk for Week 11, so let's take a look at the schedule and some key storylines.
Week 11 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, BNK, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS
3 Games: BOS, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, PHI, TOR, UTA
Week 11 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 10)-Monday: GSW, OKC, POR, TOR, WAS
Monday-Tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: None
Thursday-Friday: BKN, SAC
Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, GSW, NYK, POR
Saturday-Sunday: MIA, MIN, SAS
Sunday-Monday (Week 12): DEN, DET, OKC, PHX
Week 11 Storylines of Note
- Tuesday and Thursday are the light game days.
Unlike Week 10, which included a Christmas Eve without games, there will be action on all seven days of Week 11. Tuesday and Thursday are the light days, with four games on the slate for Tuesday and five on Thursday. The Celtics, Pistons, Clippers, 76ers and Kings are among the teams that will be active on both days, with Sacramento being the only one that will have to navigate a back-to-back (Thursday/Friday).
In addition to the Kings, Brooklyn also has a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday, which will likely impact how Cam Thomas is used as he returns from a hamstring injury. Thomas made his return to action in Saturday's game against the Timberwolves, his first appearance since November 5. In the case of the 76ers, back-to-backs have not been the only determining factor regarding Joel Embiid's availability. Philadelphia plays three games without a back-to-back in Week 11, starting with the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
- Miami and Minnesota finish Week 11 with Saturday/Sunday back-to-backs.
The Heat and Timberwolves are the only teams that will have to deal with a back-to-back to end Week 11, with the former playing three games over the final four days of Week 11. With Tyler Herro recently being joined on the injury report by Bam Adebayo, who's dealing with a lower back injury, the Heat have been left to rely on some low-rostered options. Pelle Larsson started Friday's win over the Hawks and scored 21 points, a reminder of what he's capable of when allowed to start. The absences also affect Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović, who boast higher fantasy ceilings.
Regarding the Timberwolves, Mike Conley may be the only rotation player affected by the back-to-back. However, his fantasy value this season has been relatively low, so there isn't much to be concerned about there. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have dealt with injuries recently and would be the players of note as Week 11 draws to a close.
- Golden State, Oklahoma City and Portland have two back-to-backs to navigate.
Interestingly, the Trail Blazers are the only one of these three teams that will play both games of one of its back-to-backs during Week 11 (Friday/Saturday). The Warriors and Thunder have two wraparound back-to-backs, with the first beginning on the final day of Week 10 and the second ending with the opening day of Week 12. Golden State's Stephen Curry was not available for either game of the Warriors' most recent back-to-back (December 6-7), and he sat out the second game of the team's November 18-19 back-to-back.
Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein have also sat out games recently due to back-to-backs, but that hasn't been an issue for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams. Portland is an interesting case because the team is awaiting the returns of Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, while Robert Williams III has not yet reached the point where he can play both games of back-to-backs. However, the Time Lord has not been particularly impactful as a fantasy option when healthy, since Donovan Clingan is locked in as the starting center.
- How many games will fantasy managers get out of Giannis Antetokounmpo?
After a little over three weeks out with a strained calf, Antetokounmpo returned to action on Saturday against the Bulls. He played 25 minutes, finishing with 29 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. The good news for fantasy managers and Bucks fans is that Milwaukee's four-game Week 11 schedule does not include a back-to-back. And if Giannis can play all four games, this could be a massive week for him, even if he isn't allowed to go past 30 minutes.
The Bucks play two games against the Hornets and one apiece against the Wizards and Kings. While Charlotte ranks 24th in defensive rating, the Kings (28th) and Wizards (30th) have been even worse. Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma are the players most impacted by the availability of Milwaukee's best player, but the usage rates of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins will also be affected. In the case of Rollins, Antetokounmpo's return meant that he was back in the starting lineup, raising his fantasy ceiling.
- Will Mark Williams managers have to account for a suspension?
The good news for the Suns center on Saturday was that he played both games of a back-to-back for the first time this season. Williams was used in a reserve role to help with the minutes restriction. Unfortunately, what also kept his minutes down was a third-quarter ejection after getting into a fight with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado. Phoenix begins a four-game Week 11 in the nation's capital on Monday, and they end it with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Thunder and Rockets. If Williams has to miss time due to a suspension, the door opens for Oso Ighodaro (who started on Saturday) and Nick Richards.
- The Lakers will navigate a three-game week without Austin Reaves.
Reaves aggravated a prior calf injury during Thursday's loss to the Rockets and will be out for at least four weeks. Does that make Marcus Smart a player worth rolling the dice on, or should Reaves managers look elsewhere? Based on his production, Smart isn't a lock to provide reliable fantasy value during the Lakers' three-game Week 11. However, with the Lakers being among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, he'll be on the floor a lot.
Two other players to watch due to those defensive issues are Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt. Rui Hachimura does not offer much value as a rebounder, which may open the door for LaRavia or Vanderbilt to play more out of necessity.
Warriors' Seth Curry out at least 2 weeks with sciatic nerve-related injury
Warriors' Seth Curry out at least 2 weeks with sciatic nerve-related injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors will be without the newest Curry addition for a little while.
Seth Curry, who signed with Golden State this season, underwent MRIs on his lower back and pelvis that confirmed his injury is sciatic nerve-related, the team announced Sunday morning.
Curry will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The younger brother of Steph, Seth has missed the past three games with the sciatic nerve issue.
Curry rejoined the Warriors in early December, leading to anticipation and excitement about a Curry Bros NBA union.
But the brothers have hardly played together on the floor.
Seth has played just two games for Golden State, dropping 14 points in one game and going scoreless in the second.
It now will be a little while longer until Dub Nation sees Seth and Steph play alongside one another as the former fully recovers.
After punches were thrown, Suns' Mark Williams, Pelicans' Jose Alvarado were ejected
Que the suspensions from the league office.
New Orleans' Jose Alvarado and Phoenix's Mark Williams were ejected in the third quarter Saturday night. Everything started with the 6'0" Alvarado trying to get around a screen from the 7'1" Williams, which led to a little pushing, then quickly escalated into punches being thrown. After review both players were ejected.
FIGHT BREAKS OUT IN SUNS-PELICANS pic.twitter.com/yEjd0pha5z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 28, 2025
Alvarado was called for the initial foul for pushing Williams, but the Suns' big man shoved Alvarado in the back, and things escalated from there. There were legitimate punches thrown and both men were ejected. The punches mean there will be suspensions for the players.
This was the second night of a back-to-back between the two teams, and the familiarity may have escalated the situation. Phoenix went on to get the win 123-114, sweeping the two games.
Kevin McCullar Jr. latest Knicks youngster to shine with extended opportunity
The Knicks were playing shorthanded again on Saturday.
Landry Shamet and Miles McBride are progressing well but remain out, and now Josh Hart has joined them after suffering an ankle injury during the Christmas win over the Cavs.
Hart is still being evaluated, but he's expected to be out for New York’s entire road trip.
So with the dynamic forward missing, Mike Brown had an opportunity to dip even further into the Knicks’ depth.
We’ve seen unexpected contributors step up this season, and now it was Kevin McCullar Jr’s time to shine.
McCullar came into the night with just seven appearances in his pro career, but he was more than ready to go when Brown called on him as his first reserve off the bench.
“You just have to stay ready at all times,” he said. “Coach Brown trusts in one through 17 on the bench, and you just have to try to be ready when your number is called.”
McCullar picking up four rebounds (three offensive) and dished an assist in an active first five minutes.
The 24-year-old carried that into the second quarter, contributing one of the plays of the season, in which he dove after a loose ball he poked free then found some space and knocked down a corner three on the return pass.
It was those type of hustle plays that gave New York the energy they needed to end the first half strong.
McCullar kept the momentum going coming out of the locker room, knocking down his third triple of the night as part of a seven-point quarter, helping the Knicks barely weather Atlanta’s early second-half surge.
Then with the Hawks refusing to go away, Brown trusted him enough to give him minutes down the stretch.
The youngster ended up being named New York's Defensive Player of the Game, and he finished his most impressive NBA showing with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a career-high 23 minutes.
“I just wanted to give him a chance,” Brown said. “Threw him out there for a few minutes and he was fantastic, he earned even more minutes -- I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned them.”
With Hart sidelined, perhaps McCullar will be able to earn even more minutes over the next few games.
Nets extend winning streak to three with 123-107 win over Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cam Thomas scored 30 points in his return after missing 20 games with a left hamstring strain, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-107 on Saturday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who had six players score in double figures. Brooklyn (10-19) has won four of five and five of seven.
The Nets, who improved to 7-3 in December, are allowing an NBA-low 103.1 points per game this month.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota (20-12) with 28 points, but the Timberwolves dropped back-to-back games for the third time this season. Minnesota lost 142-138 in overtime Thursday at Denver.
Five players scored in double digits for Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels had 16 points, while Naz Reid and Julius Randle each added 13.
Thomas, who played just under 20 minutes, scored 12 straight Brooklyn points in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, for an 89-82 lead. The Brooklyn guard is averaging 22.3 points on 42.2% shooting in nine games this season.
Day’Ron Sharpe scored six of the Nets’ final eight points of the quarter for a 98-86 advantage. A pull-up jumper by Thomas, followed by four points from Danny Wolf, made it 104-86 early in the fourth.
Porter’s 3 gave the Nets a 120-102 lead with 1:57 to play. In eight games this month, he is averaging 28.4 points on 51.1% shooting, including 46.7% from outside the arc. He’s also grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game.
An MRI on Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who exited Thursday’s loss to Denver, showed a left foot strain. Shannon will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Up next
Nets: Host the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
Timberwolves: Start a four-game trip Monday in Chicago.
OG Anunoby delivers late to help Knicks hang on for 128-125 win over Hawks
The Knicks hung on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 128-125 on Saturday night at State Farm Arena.
Here are the takeaways...
- The Knicks were without Josh Hart in this one, and he's expected miss the three-game road trip with the ankle sprain he suffered in the Christmas Day win, so rookie Mohamed Diawara received the second start of his NBA career.
- Mike Brown dipped even further into his bench early on, turning to Kevin McCullar Jr. as his first reserve, and the youngster made an immediate impact with four rebounds (three offensive) and an assist over his first five minutes of action.
- New York dominated the boards as a team in the opening quarter, bringing in 20 rebounds to Atlanta's nine. The Knicks' offense found their footing after a bit of a slow start and they were able to open a five-point advantage on Jalen Brunson's three with two seconds left in a back-and-forth first.
- The Hawks evened things up early in the second, but a 12-4 Knicks run helped them push the lead back up to eight. The orange and blue faithful in attendance went crazy as Tyler Kolek completed a pretty and-one, then Karl-Anthony Towns connected with Mikal Bridges on a behind-the-head pass.
Towns picked up where he left off in the last meeting with Atlanta, with 16 points and seven boards in his first 13 minutes.
- McCullar took advantage of extended minutes off the bench with the lead pushed to double-digits. The 24-year-old knocked down a pair of threes and provided a spark with his hustle plays on both ends of the court, finishing a terrific first half with six points and six rebounds.
- Jalen Brunson started out 1-of-4 from three but knocked down his first two coming out of the third. The captain connected with a driving Mikal Bridges for a fastbreak slam to help extend the lead out to 16 minutes into the second half. New York was mad at the rims on Saturday, throwing down some monstrous jams.
Atlanta refused to go away, and they were able to close the gap all the way back down to nine in the dying minutes of the third. Brunson contributed 10 points in the frame and McCullar chipped in seven more, helping New York weather the storm.
- Towns appeared to settle the Knicks back into a groove with eight consecutive points (and a Kolek three celebration) early in the fourth, but the Hawks continued battling. Nickeil Alexander-Walker's fifth three of the night made it a one possession ballgame with just under five minutes remaining in regulation.
Atlanta jumped back in front on Onyeka Okongwu's three minutes later, but Brunson responded as he always does with a pair of clutch buckets. The captain committed a costly turnover just one possession later, though, allowing the Hawks to break the other way and regain the lead.
After a Brunson miss on the other end, OG Anunoby grabbed a huge board and knocked down a pair of free throws. Anunoby then made the defensive play of the game, coming up with a huge steal and drilling two more free throw to help the Knicks hang on for the thrilling victory.
- Anunoby finished with 15 points, including 7-for-7 from the line, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
- Towns led the way with 36 points and 16 boards, Brunson had 34 points, Bridges 14 and eight assists, and McCullar chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds in arguably the most impressive performance of his young NBA career.
Game MVP: Kevin McCullar Jr.
The youngster provided the spark off the bench in arguably his most impressive NBA action.
Highlights
Great defense 🤝 great offense pic.twitter.com/zoY4vS6G0m
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 28, 2025
Mikal Bridges finds Jalen Brunson for the bucket! pic.twitter.com/7gp6P935y0
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 28, 2025
Nails from three pic.twitter.com/QStHXQAQ1i
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 28, 2025
What a sequence 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/fHmuuWn7Pj
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 28, 2025
This pass from KAT 😤
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 28, 2025
Then the slam from Mikal 💥 pic.twitter.com/oXTmGZTcpS
What's next
The Knicks continue their road trip with a meeting with the Pelicans on Monday at 8:00 p.m.
Lakers 'recalibrate' after Austin Reaves injury, three-game losing streak
After the Lakers’ third straight loss Thursday, JJ Redick promised things would get “uncomfortable.” The second-year coach, frustrated after the team delivered a lump of coal in a Christmas Day blowout by the Houston Rockets, said he couldn’t stand to rewatch the same tired story. Leaning his elbow on the table at his postgame news conference, Redick called out players who don’t give enough effort on defense or play hard.
Two days later he stood in front of reporters with a different tone.
“Recalibration,” Redick said calmly of the message he delivered during Saturday’s team meeting. “Reconnection.”
Redick has cooled, but the Lakers still are under fire. Not only are they trying to snap a season-high three-game losing streak at home Sunday against the Sacramento Kings (6:30 p.m.), but also the Lakers (19-10) still are looking for their first home win in December and must navigate this defining moment without guard Austin Reaves.
Reaves was diagnosed with a grade 2 strain in his left calf Friday and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The latest setback comes less than two weeks after he was sidelined because of a “mild” strain in the same calf that kept him out for three games.
Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2) and his ascent from undrafted rookie to potential first-time All-Star was one of the team’s feel-good stories of the season. Reaves scored a career-high 51 points against Sacramento in October, rescuing the Lakers in a game without LeBron James or Luka Doncic and showing Reaves’ potential in a starring role.
Read more:Lakers guard Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of calf injury
Now without their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are looking for their supporting cast to step up.
“We just need our guys to be stars in their roles,” Redick said. “Certainly from a top-end talent standpoint, it diminishes that. But it doesn't change the non-negotiables or how we're trying to play.”
After losing the last three games by an average of 20.7 points per game, the Lakers needed to get reacquainted with their non-negotiables during Saturday’s meeting. The session was uncomfortable in the way confronting truth can be uncomfortable, Redick said. It wasn’t just coaches lecturing, but also players speaking up.
The top priority was creating more clarity, Redick said. The team needed to get back to building its defensive fundamentals after so many lineup changes because of injuries. The Lakers have used 16 different starting lineups in 29 games and have to readjust their rotation again in Reaves’ absence.
“Togetherness is going to have to be emphasized to where it looks like an exaggeration,” center Deandre Ayton said, “where it becomes a habit. And that's what winners do. And it's pretty easy for this team. It's just that there's always a different group out there and we're going to get it for sure.”
Forward Rui Hachimura said coaches reminded players of the team’s three pillars that again were displayed on a screen in the practice gym Saturday — championship habits, championship communication, championship shape.
Read more:'We don’t have it right now.' Takeaways from the Lakers' third straight loss
“We just talk about everybody, players, coaches, we just gotta kind of tighten up,” Hachimura said. “We had a good stretch in the beginning and now we kind of, I don't know, we relaxed or we kind of got tired of winning, you know, but we just stopped doing what we're supposed to do.”
The Lakers are 29th in the NBA in defensive rating in the last 15 games, giving up 122.2 points per 100 possessions. It’s a significant drop from their rating of 113.7 in the first 14 games in which they went 10-4.
Since James returned from, the Lakers’ preferred starting lineup — Doncic, Reaves, James, Ayton and Hachimura — has a net rating of minus-19.9 in seven games.
Offensively the Lakers have lacked organization since James came back, Redick acknowledged. James declined to speak to reporters after practice.
“Too many random possessions,” Redick said. “That's on me.”
Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to return to Bucks lineup Saturday
After missing eight games with a calf strain, Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the Bucks lineup Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable. He will play if he clears pregame testing after warming up, reports Eric Nehn of The Athletic.
Milwaukee went 2-6 in the eight games Antetokounmpo missed, falling to 12-19 on the season and 11th in the Eastern Conference, outside even the play-in. That has only fueled trade rumors swirling around Antetokounmpo, although he has yet to formally request a trade, and the Bucks are telling teams they are looking to add talent around the two-time MVP and not trade him away.
Antetokounmpo's calf injury came just four games after he returned from a left adductor strain.
"Maybe it was a mistake of me coming back a little bit earlier, because once I come back, now you're overcompensating," Antetokounmpo said of coming back after that adductor injury, via the Associated Press. "The only way you can pop your soleus is by overcompensating and then having an extreme amount of load or play a lot of games in a short period of time. Again, I think all of the things that I was thinking and trying to come back led to the incident that I had with my soleus."
Antetokounmpo has played like an MVP when he has been on the court this season, averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Milwaukee is 9-8 in games Antetokounmpo has played in this season and is banking on his return to vault them back into the playoff picture in a wide-open East.
Tom Izzo blasts NCAA over controversial Baylor-NBA draft pick decision
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo ripped the NCAA's decision to grant former NBA draft pick James Nnaji immediate eligibility at Baylor.
Tom Izzo blasts NCAA over controversial Baylor-NBA draft pick decision
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo ripped the NCAA's decision to grant former NBA draft pick James Nnaji immediate eligibility at Baylor.
Bucks list Antetokounmpo as questionable for Saturday’s game as he nears return from calf strain
CHICAGO — Giannis Antetokounmpo may be on the verge of returning from the right calf strain that has kept the two-time MVP from playing in the Milwaukee Bucks’ last eight games.
The Bucks issued an injury report that listed Antetokounmpo as questionable for Saturday’s game at Chicago rather than ruling him out entirely.
Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since injuring his calf less than three minutes into the Bucks’ 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 3. The injury came on Antetokounmpo’s fourth game back after a left adductor strain caused him to miss four games.
“Maybe it was a mistake of me coming back a little bit earlier, because once I come back, now you’re overcompensating,” Antetokounmpo said on Dec. 18. “The only way you can pop your soleus is by overcompensating and then having an extreme amount of load or play a lot of games in a short period of time. Again, I think all of the things that I was thinking and trying to come back led to the incident that I had with my soleus.”
The Bucks have gone 2-6 in the eight games Antetokounmpo has missed because of the calf issue. So far this season, the Bucks are 9-8 with Antetokounmpo and 3-11 without him.
Antetokounmpo, who turned 31 on Dec. 6, has averaged 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season.
Russell Westbrook not considering retirement after new milestones in Kings' win
Russell Westbrook not considering retirement after new milestones in Kings' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO – It seems almost every time an NBA discussion involves Stephen Curry or LeBron James, inevitably their age gets brought up. Seems reasonable enough considering what the two superstars are doing at this stage of their respective careers.
At 37 years old and in his first season with the Kings, Russell Westbrook also is showing he still can get it done at a high level, though his age is rarely brought up.
Retirement is not something the nine-time NBA All-Star is even remotely considering.
“I just take it day by day,” Westbrook said after Sacramento’s 113-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday at Golden 1 Center. “I make sure I take care of my body and make sure I’m able to play at a high level. And then I’ll keep going until I feel like I had enough.”
Clearly Westbrook hasn’t had enough.
Now in his 18th NBA season, Westbrook is doing the same things he’s always done. The Kings are his seventh team in eight seasons, and he’s playing at times like he’s still in his 20s.
Against the Mavericks, Westbrook slipped past the great Magic Johnson into seventh place on the NBA career assist list and inched closer to moving past Dominique Wilkins on the all-time scoring list.
Whenever he does decide to call it quits, Westbrook is guaranteed an invitation into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. That’s unquestioned.
Until then, though, the mercurial point guard wants to keep cooking like he always has.
Westbrook grew up watching Johnson work his own magic on the court, so to pass the Hall of Famer in any statistical category was kind of mind-boggling.
“Before I speak and say anything, I’m truly blessed and thankful to the man above for just allowing me and gifting me with the time to go out and play basketball,” Westbrook said. “As for passing Magic … it’s an honor. Magic is one of the greats. I’m grateful to be able to pass him just because he’s such a legend in so many different ways.”
Ironically, Westbrook as become a legend in a sport that wasn’t even his first love.
“I grew up wanting to play football,” Westbrook said. “I grew up playing football, taking a bus, going to the park, playing just being a normal kid in the city. And things happened so fast to me. I always knew if given the opportunity to be able to be somebody, I would take full advantage of it. That’s why every time I step on the floor, I don’t take anything for granted. I don’t take plays or anything for granted.
“This was given to me, not just for basketball, but to use as a platform to be able to help and inspire other people. So I hope the way I play the game, I hope the way people see it be competing. Yes, the records are all great, but I hope it inspires other people, people across the world, to do great things in their lives as well.”
Westbrook clearly is comfortable in the state capital. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists with four triple-doubles in Sacramento’s first 30 games.
Against the Mavericks, he was in vintage form with 21 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Westbrook also recorded the 2,000th steal of his career, one of 14 players in NBA history to reach that plateau.
Kings coach Doug Christie didn’t sound very surprised considering the work ethic that Westbrook has shown during his time in Sacramento.
“He gets in, he gets his work when you see him at practice, but he also comes back at nighttime,” Christie said. “That’s how you get to be that great. He truly believes in himself. He works his butt off, on his game and on his body. He watches film like he does.
“He’s a pro. He wants to win more than anything, and that’s where you see that nastiness at and I’m all for it. His ability to go out on a night-to-night basis and compete the way that he does just says so much about him as a professional. And I think that his teammates also really, really respect that.”
Westbrook owns the record for most triple-doubles – currently with 207, with the great Oscar Robertson next with 181 – and is getting closer to moving ahead of the Big O as the NBA’s top-scoring point guard. Robertson has the top spot with 26,710 while Westbrook is closing in quickly with 26,659.
There’s a good chance that record will be broken this season. If not, Christie is all in favor for bringing Westbrook back for another run for the 2026-27 NBA season.
“I’m a big fan,” Christie said. “I hope that he’s here because I think everything that he stands for, how he goes about his business, for our young players, as we build this thing out, is super, super important. The competitiveness, the anger after a loss … the things that they see with him are really good, so it’s an honor and a blessing to have him.”