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2017 NBA MVP and 9-time All-Star Russell Westbrook has become the heart of the Denver Nuggets' bench rotation since joining the franchise in the summer of 2024 via free agency.
Unfortunately, Denver's recent 112-105 defeat in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday handed the team a deflating 3-2 deficit in the series and pushing the group to the brink of postseason elimination.
Earlier that day, a disparaging report was released that collected statements from an anonymous Nuggets 'team source' to paint Westbrook as a selfish person and teammate, causing an uproar amongst current and former NBA players.
"(Westbrook) sneers at the idea of compromise," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne wrote Tuesday morning.
"I can't see another team doing it,' one team source said of the Nuggets' signing Westbrook, after unceremonious endings with his previous four teams, 'but I never thought we would do it."
After the story made its rounds, one former NBA veteran and teammate of Westbrook took to social media to not only deny these claims, but also to note that 'anonymous sources' should not be used to attack an athlete's character.
"Y'all are killing me with this anonymous (expletive)," 11-year veteran guard Austin Rivers shared via Twitter/X on Tuesday afternoon.
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"If you're going to speak on a player's character, if y'all are going to come out here and talk about a player's personal life and certain things about him, say it with your chest and say that you feel this way."
"Y'all are over here talking about, 'Russell Westbrook is immature, says an anonymous teammate of his own.' Then say the teammate then!"
"I played with Russell. The last thing I would ever describe him as, as a teammate, is immature. This guy's the epitome of what a professional looks like."
Rivers and Westbrook shared the court for the 2019-20 season as members of the Houston Rockets, and it appears that the future first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee was able to make a real impact on the former in a short amount of time.
The 36-year-old point guard has made meaningful contributions throughout his time with the Nuggets, and while his play could be described as erratic and unpredictable at times, Rivers provided the NBA world with reassurance that he's a solid teammate and prideful competitor.
In his 17th regular season campaign in 2024-25, Westbrook contributed 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 75 appearances for Denver while adjusting to a new role.
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