It is said that you should retire at the age of 36, but now you have become the first in the league and you will still strive for the championship.

For basketball players, experiencing growth, peaks and troughs is a common process that cannot be avoided even superstars. Especially in the late stage of his career, the superstar who once looked up to the crowd may become a supporting role or even become a scrap. There is such a player who has been questioning over the past few years, and many fans even say that they are 36 years old and have complete side effects on the court, and it is time to retire. Now he has become the first in the league and is going to strive for the championship and prove himself.

He is Westbrook. Westbrook was the league's regular season MVP+ scoring champion. After leaving the Thunder, Westbrook began to decline. During the Rockets, he was selected for the All-Star stage, and during the Wizards, he averaged a triple-double per game. But when he joined the Lakers, his annual salary was $44.21 million, one of the most expensive stars in the league. He only averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game, and the combination with James and Eyebrow was not chemistry. The team was unable to even enter the playoffs in the end.

In the 22-23 season, Westbrook was traded to the Jazz after playing 52 games with the Lakers and then joined the Clippers. The Lakers not only returned to the playoffs stage, but also entered the Western Conference Finals. Therefore, the doubts about Westbrook have never stopped. After the super maximum salary contract expired, Westbrook did not get favor from the market, and the Clippers signed Westbrook with a basic salary contract. During the Clippers' year and a half, Westbrook also performed poorly, averaging 6 points and 4 rebounds in the playoffs last year, with a shooting percentage of 26%, which was even more a disaster-level performance.

Since then, many media and fans have publicly stated that Westbrook is no longer suitable for the NBA and should retire. But the Nuggets extended an olive branch to Westbrook. Although it was just a basic salary contract, Westbrook successfully joined forces with Jokic. At the beginning of the season, the outside world was not optimistic about the combination of Jokic and Westbrook, but now Westbrook is getting better and better. During the regular season, Westbrook averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He has a comprehensive skill and strong defense. He is a good scoring point and organization point on the bench, improving the depth of the bench.

On the playoff stage, Westbrook can still score 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, although the shooting percentage of 40% is not high. However, the Nuggets' substitute players were weak, Westbrook was able to provide firepower well when playing, and also gained a lot of rest for the main players. Now the Nuggets and the Thunder tied 3-3, and there is a great chance to advance in the tiebreak battle. If you cross the Thunder, the Nuggets will be the most promising existence to win the championship.

Since the playoffs, Westbrook has scored a total of 138 points, making him the best in the league among substitutes! This also proves Westbrook's value. From being questioned about retirement to becoming the first in the substitute league, Westbrook's successful transformation, he is still a good puzzle for the championship.