NBA
Oscar Robertson is unsure why the NBA has turned its back on Russell Westbrook
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated8 hours ago on October 09, 2025
Not every player in the NBA has the same career path. Some start as lottery picks in the draft, and others have to grind to earn a spot. Additionally, some players do not choose when they get to retire.
It’s a luxury in professional sports to pick and choose when your career is done. Nine-time all-star Russell Westbrook is well aware of it. The 36-year-old just finished his 17th professional season. Just weeks ahead of the 2025-26 season, Westbrook remains unsigned. Recently, Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson called it “unfortunate” that Russell Westbrook is being treated this way.
Will Russell Westbrook get another opportunity in the NBA?
Oscar Robertson says he doesn’t understand why the league has turned its back on Russell Westbrook
“It’s unfortunate that they’re doing some of these things to him… Why blame him?”
(🎥 @allthesmokeprod / h/t @ClutchPoints )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 8, 2025
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Russell Westbrook signed a two-year, $6.7 million deal with the Nuggets. He appeared in 75 of their 82 regular-season game and made 36 starts. Westbrook averaged 27.9 minutes per contest. The second year of that deal was a player option in 2025-26 that Westbrook turned down. He did this to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. So far, that plan has backfired for the veteran PG.
Less than two weeks before the 2025-26 season begins, Westbrook remains unsigned. Recently, NBA legend and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson shared his thoughts on Russell Westbrook’s situation. Robertson was on the All The Smoke podcast. He called it “unfortunate” that Westbrook is being overlooked at this stage in his career. Podcast host Stephen Jackson emphasized how it’s hard to teach a player to be like Russell Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook all-time guard ranks:
5th in points
2nd in rebounds
6th in assists
4th in shots made pic.twitter.com/CKmZLazWoA— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) October 7, 2025
Jackson explained how the MVP PG has a different level and motor than the average NBA player. That’s what has made Russell Westbrook so valuable in his career. His intensity and energy level on the court are unmatched. Oscar Robertson also mentioned how Westbrook has been a scapegoat over the years. Teams like to blame Westbrook when they’re not reaching their full potential.
Robertson specifically mentioned the Thunder turning their back on Westbrook. He kept their franchise relevant when James Harden and Kevin Durant left the team. Ahead of the 2019-20 season, OKC traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. That was after 11 seasons with the Thunder. Russell Westbrook deserves another chance in the NBA. The veteran PG may have to wait until the season begins to get his first opportunity in 2025-26.
