Russell Westbrook turns 38 years old later this year and knows that the window for him to win an NBA championship is near being shut down. He, however, has started to come to terms with it, seeing how some of the factors involved in becoming a champion are now no longer in his control.
The 2017 league MVP finished Year 18 in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings . He still produced solid numbers across the board, 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 29 minutes of play, but was nowhere near in a position to compete for a title as the Kings struggled to a dismal 22-60 record, tied for worst in the Western Conference.
Despite the challenging predicament he had in Sacramento this season, some clarity emerged for Westbrook as to how he intends to approach his career from here on, choosing to be no longer confined to the "rings define everything" narrative that players like him had to deal with all their careers.
Westbrook spoke about it in his exit interview after their season.
"There's so many different things that have to align for you to be able to win a championship in this league… But sometimes you can be in the position and it don't work out. That's it. So for me, it's just being in a place where I'm wanted, having fun, enjoying the game. To me, that's what's important," Westbrook said .
The NBA is littered with stars who went ringless after establishing solid careers. Players like Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash and, more recently, Carmelo Anthony , Derrick Rose and Chris Paul all had to face the music and exit not reaching the summit.
They, too, have had to deal with the discourse about "ring culture" through the course of the years, which tries to diminish what they were able to accomplish in their careers for not winning a championship.
It is the same talk that even those who have won it all, like LeBron James , constantly push against, aware that winning an NBA title is easier said than done because a lot has to happen for it to be realized.
"Trying to nitpick an individual because he was not able to win a team game or a team match -- or whatever the case may be -- I don't know where it started, but it's a long conversation, especially when it comes to me individually. It's so weird. It's never enough," four-time NBA champion James shared on the "Mind the Game" podcast he does with Nash.
"I don't know why it's discussed so much in our sport and why it's the end-all, be-all of everything. Like OK, 'You weren't a great player [because] you never won a championship.' Or if you won one, you can't be in the same conversation with this person. ... You sit here and tell me Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley and Steve Nash f---ing weren't unbelievable?" he added.
To Westbrook's credit, he tried winning an NBA title, and, make no mistake, is still trying. He had his lone shot so far back in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder , playing alongside Kevin Durant and a young James Harden . They fell short against James and the Miami Heat , but Westbrook packed the numbers in that series, going for 27.0 points, 6.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds.
He continued to go at it with the Thunder even after Harden and then later on Durant left, and had his best individual years as a player, including winning MVP in 2017.
After he left Oklahoma City in 2019, he has played for six teams since, but the goal of winning a title remained, especially the years he spent with the Los Angeles Lakers , Clippers and Denver Nuggets .
Along the way, he had to deal with constant criticisms about his level of play, place in the teams he played for, and falling short of his title quest, but no doubt, each time he left everything on the floor.
Westbrook is currently an unrestricted free agent, and his next destination remains to be seen. He is still hoping he lands on a spot that would allow him to make another go at an NBA title before everything closes.
But regardless of whether he ends up with a championship or not, Westbrook is seemingly determined to enjoy this late stage of his career more than ever, satisfied with the body of work he has produced and just confidently dealing with how NBA history sees him after.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
