Westbrook, who joined the NBA Kings, smiled at the retirement crisis: "I even appreciate those who doubted"

"As long as my career continues, my hunger will not go away. " It is rare for an NBA player to be as polarizing as Russell Westbrook. He has brilliant records such as the 2017 regular season MVP and 9 All-Star selections. However, even at the peak of the Thunder's frequent triple-doubles, he was criticized for being "not a team player."

Russell Westbrook, who signed with the Kings

Since leaving the Thunder in 2019, he has moved to 5 teams in 6 seasons. This offseason, after leaving the Nuggets, he received a lukewarm response in the free market, and there were even rumors that he would retire.

Nonetheless, as the offseason came to an end, he eventually signed with the Sacramento Kings as many expected. It's a one-year veteran's minimum contract that will see him serve as Dennis Schröder's backup, but Westbrook doesn't care. In his first press conference after becoming a member of the Kings, Westbrook smiled and said: "I am grateful that I can play in a place where I want to play."

Westbrook said that one of the reasons why he chose the Kings was the enthusiasm of the Sacramento fans. "The energy of the fans is one of the reasons why I am attracted to basketball and can give my best. Every time I come here as an opponent, I can feel the excellence of the fans here. Although I always hear the boos, I always see it as a compliment. Now, I am excited that that energy can be used for me, and I look forward to blending their energy with mine to win. "

Despite Westbrook's expectations, the outside world's expectations for the Kings are not high. After the departure of De'Aaron Fox, the team became a collection of veterans who were past their prime, and Domantas Sabonis was also considered dissatisfied with the team's chaotic direction. Although the team has many former All-Star players, there are also views that the team may send them away before the trade deadline and turn to reconstruction.

The evaluation of Westbrook has also shown a downward trend after experiencing ups and downs. For a player who is about to turn 37 and has bounced around many teams, this may be inevitable, but he laughs off the low evaluation suffered by the team and himself: "My evaluation has been the same throughout my career."

"I even appreciate people raising questions about 'is that guy good enough?' When the season starts, I will step on the court and show what I can do. Some people will like it. , some people will hate it. This is my life. It's no accident that I'm here now and getting the opportunity to play. As long as my career continues, my hunger will not go away. I have made it from the moment I was selected in the draft. The long offseason is finally here. Westbrook, as always, is ready. Despite having just joined the team, he said categorically: "There are a lot of familiar faces here and we're all experienced, so it's no problem." When asked if he would play in the season opener against the Suns, he ended with his signature powerful words: "Of course, I'm here for it."