What started as an ordinary Wednesday in the middle of the quiet part of the NBA offseason turned into the opposite of that. It started with the news of yet another Lakers ownership change in the morning. In the afternoon, former Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook announced his retirement in a video posted to his social media.
It turns out the Wizards were serious about Westbrook returning for what would've been his 19th season, as ESPN's Shams Charania revealed that Washington had presented an offer to the guard, as did Sacramento. That wasn't shocking news, considering The Stein Line revealed earlier in the summer that the team was interested in a reunion (subscription required).
The 37-year-old chose to end his career on his own terms, though, and as admirable as that is, it still stings knowing that he passed on a chance to return to Washington.
Wizards were interested in reuniting with Russell Westbrook
Unlike the 2020-21 season, when Westbrook was with the Wizards and averaged 36.4 minutes across 65 contests, he would've played in a reserve role for Washington after starting 58 of the 64 games he played for Sacramento this past year.
Westbrook hasn't said anything publicly about his retirement, nor did he say a word in the video narrated by Michael B. Jordan. However, he did post the caption, "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it's over."
Maybe he wasn't interested in returning to a reserve role, or maybe he wanted to be somewhere he had a shot to win a title, neither of which would've happened in Washington or Sacramento this upcoming season. Even the biggest Wizards believers should be able to admit that last part.
As fun as it might've been to see Westbrook back in a Wizards uniform, it would've been more so for the impact he'd have at practice, in the locker room, and on the sideline, not as much about what he'd give on the court. If Washington had signed him, it still should've prioritized playing its younger guards over him, which might not have gone over so well.
There shouldn't be any hard feelings between the Wizards and Westbrook, as he chose to do what's best for him. Watching him average a triple-double (22.2 points, 11.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds) for the final time in his illustrious career with Washington was electric, a season that fans will look back on fondly.
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