Mussatto: Russell Westbrook to Nuggets is latest stop on rocky finish to remarkable career

Russell Westbrook will soon be a Denver Nugget . Time for him to make amends with a longtime nemesis, Rocky the Mountain Lion.

Westbrook’s beef with the Nuggets mascot started more than a decade ago. During a fourth quarter timeout of a 2013 game at Denver, the then-Thunder point guard blocked Rocky’s promotional half-court heave . Then Westbrook did it again.

Westbrook was a snarling 24-year-old with spring-loaded legs. He was a one-of-one athlete — so tightly wound, the detonations were extraordinary. He was on his way to a third All-Star nod. In four years time, he’d be the MVP of the league. Mr. Triple-Double. A surefire Hall of Famer.

In Oklahoma City, he was a legend. Still is. The Star Who Stayed .

But we all knew how this would end. That Westbrook would not age gracefully.

And here we are.

Westbrook is set to play for his sixth team in seven years. The Nuggets, financially frugal and limited by the roster constraints of the second apron, are the latest team to buckle up for the Westbrook roller coaster — exciting at first, but by the end you can’t wait to get off.

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Even at his peak, we wondered what an old (by basketball terms) Westbrook would look like. We knew his athleticism would wane. That he probably wouldn’t become a better 3-point shooter or more-focused defender. That he wasn’t suddenly going to move without the basketball or start setting screens.

That he was too hard-headed, too proud to conform.

There were stretches, particularly with the Clippers, when he adapted. But Westbrook is Westbrook. What once made him great now makes him a detriment more often than not.

Think playing with Nikola Jokic, the best player in the world and most selfless of superstars, will change Westbrook? Playing with LeBron James didn’t change Westbrook. Neither did playing with Kawhi Leonard or Paul George. Or James Harden or Kevin Durant.

After 11 seasons in Oklahoma City, Westbrook lasted just one season in Houston. Then one in Washington. The Lakers moved on after two years. As did the Clippers. The Jazz, acting as a sign-and-trade facilitator, will have twice bought him out.

The Nuggets will be the sixth team Westbrook has played for. Among the top 75 players of all time, according to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, only five played for six or more teams: Carmelo Anthony, Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Paul.

Westbrook is about to be the sixth.

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Jokic apparently wanted to play with Westbrook — the latest reminder that great players don’t make great general managers.

“Russ is an all-time great, and we were fortunate to have him here,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “He lifted the energy and intensity of the group. We look forward to seeing him continue his decorated career.”

One of the most decorated careers of all time.

A nine-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA selection. An MVP and two-time scoring champ. The all-time leader in triple-doubles and among the top-25 in points and assists.

Westbrook will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His No. 0 will be retired in Oklahoma City. A statue of him might one day be erected outside of the Thunder’s soon-to-be built arena.

Maybe Westbrook will add to his legacy by winning a championship in Denver. Maybe it’ll be the latest stop in the unceremonious final days of his tremendous career.

The ending is just as we predicted, yet it’s still hard to stomach.

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Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com . Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com .

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Mussatto: Russell Westbrook to Nuggets is latest stop on rocky finish to remarkable career