Russell Westbrook says he plays with the 'best player in the world'

When Russell Westbrook joined the Denver Nuggets last summer, many thought his career was already over. After all, he had somewhat underwhelming runs with the LA Lakers and Clippers.

In fact, it felt like the Nuggets didn't have much trust in Brodie as it was announced that the former NBA MVP would come off the bench for the team.

Well, fast forward to now, Westbrook has certainly proved his doubters wrong. He has done a great job of leading the Nuggets' second unit.

But the 36-year-old's true impact has been on full display when he starts for the team. Following the Nuggets' 139-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks, they are 9-2 when Russ starts in a game.

Westbrook has seemingly developed incredible chemistry with 3x NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and shared his thoughts on playing with him following the win against the Hawks.

He's the best player in the world. My job is to make the game easy for him, and he does it for everybody else. And it's a pleasure to be able to share the floor with him," Westbrook said.

“We just gotta hold each other accountable” -Russell Westbrook @VicLombardi talks to Russ after the dominant win over Atlanta #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/TUENY9i92T
— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) January 2, 2025

Playing for the Nuggets has brought back Westbrook's smile and it's a terrific feeling to see the veteran guard find a perfect fit for a change.

Speaking of his performance vs. the Hawks, Russ finished the night with 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 11 assists. He had a 16-point triple-double in the Nuggets' last game against the Utah Jazz as well.

Brodie has started the last four games for the Nuggets and the 2023 NBA champions have gone 3-1 in that stretch. It's safe to say that he has developed a phenomenal partnership with Jokic.

The way that the duo is playing right now is the biggest reason why the team has climbed to the fourth spot in the Western Conference.