Russell Westbrook's tenure as a member of the LA Clippers was certainly a strange one. After he was added to the team's roster following the February 2023 trade deadline, he changed the outlook of the team in a bigger way than expected.
Westbrook was beloved by Clipper nation in part due to him being a Los Angeles native. So of course, many had Sunday evening's home matchup with Russ' new team, the Denver Nuggets, marked on their calendars for weeks.
The Clippers took home a big win in the contest, taking down Denver 126-122. Before the start of the game, the team opted to give Russ a tribute video highlighting some of his greatest moments with the Clippers - set to the arena anthem "Remember The Name" by Fort Minor.
Some were unsure the kind of reception Westbrook would get after his up-and-down tenure with the Clippers. But unlike Paul George's return, which was highlighted by many loud boos, Russ got a big ovation from Intuit Dome and particularly from The Wall.
Russell Westbrook tribute video & reception from THE WALL pic.twitter.com/7rXwV1cSrc
— Dime Dropper (@DimeDropperPod) December 2, 2024
Westbrook was greeted with a big ovation from Clipper nation
He may have had his struggles while wearing the Clipper uniform, but it seems the fanbase is willing to give him some grace given the circumstances. When we think about Russ' time with the team that now calls Intuit Dome home, it can be easy to unwittingly apply some revisionist history to the story.
It was the energy Russ brought to the Clippers' lineup as a ball-handler that maximized the ability of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and allowed them to operate off the ball more. Westbrook looked like the best version of himself since at least 2021 while playing with the franchise, and Clipper nation will never forget his game-sealing block on Devin Booker in the 2023 playoffs.
But when LA added James Harden in late 2023, the outlook changed significantly for Russ. Being forced to the bench, his role was no longer what he was used to, and his performances wavered quite a bit more than before. This ultimately led to the team and him parting ways this past offseason.
Still, Westbrook gave his all for the Clippers and managed to do some incredible things while representing the team. He deserves to be celebrated by Clippers fans, and it is nice to see him received so warmly in his home of Southern California.