Russell Westbrook had a mini-media day for himself following his one-year, $3.6 million veteran’s minimum deal with the Kings. During the introductory press conference in that session, Westbrook was asked if he plans to retire after this season.
Considering how many former NBA players and media members were concerned about Westbrook’s future before he landed a deal with the Kings, this seemed like a time when the 36-year-old potentially considered retirement when he had dimming prospects of landing a contract in the NBA. However, Westbrook seemed confident that this was not the case.
“Yeah, right,” said Westbrook while scoffing at the question, seeming confident that this was not his last season in the league.
Day 1 and @JandersonSacBee is the first to get a Russell Westbrook facial expression. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/iF24gm3M9O
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) October 19, 2025
Westbrook signed a deal with the Kings after waiting the entire duration of free agency for their trade interest in Jonathan Kuminga to be settled. Once the Kings were out of the race for Kuminga, it opened the path for them to consider bringing on Westbrook, which they subsequently did.
Following this season, Westbrook is expected to become an unrestricted free agent. Previously, several members of the media addressed rumors that Westbrook may have been blackballed from the NBA. Some also blamed it on LeBron James and the Lakers. However, Westbrook seems to believe that teams in the league know the value that he brings to the table.
Last season, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from beyond the three-point line. While these numbers are nowhere close to what Westbrook was capable of in his prime, they show that this, combined with his veteran experience in the league, can be a great addition to any roster, especially for the Kings, who have young guards needing mentorship like Malik Monk, Devin Carter, and Keon Ellis.
Westbrook was additionally asked about how he plans to impact the younger guys on the team with his leadership skills.
“Since I’ve been in this league, leadership is not just something that I’m fortunate that you guys see out on the floor. But my job, and I think one of my traits as a leader, is to be able to learn about guys’ journeys off the floor, how they got to this point, what inspired them, what pushes them,” said Westbrook.
“I think being able to do that, and obviously, I’ve known Malik since he was in high school. He’s worked out with me in college. And being able to know his story allows me to be a better teammate, uh, a better brother to my teammates,” he further added.
“And I think that’s the to me that’s what I look forward to most in any part of my journey, being able to impact and inspire somebody daily. It’s always my daily goal to run into somebody, and maybe I can inspire them to do something that they think they can do. So, I look forward to doing that.”
Who knows, maybe the Kings could offer him an extension if he proves himself to be valuable to them this season. Considering that Devin Carter’s future with the Kings seems to be on shaky ground at the moment, Westbrook might carve out consistent rotation minutes for himself on the Kings’ strategies for the season and potentially look at an extension with them at the end of the season.
