Jalen Williams Sends Russell Westbrook Message Amid Thunder-Nuggets Series

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Svyato Rovenchuk | Last updated May 9, 2025 3:05 PM ET

One of the biggest subplots of this second-round matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets was the return of Russell Westbrook to the franchise that experienced his best years.

This is the first playoff series with a crowd that Westbrook is matching up against the team that drafted him since being traded away from the organization.

The energetic guard did play the Thunder in the 2020 playoffs, but with the bubble, the usual element of travel was missing from that series. The franchise legend got a loud standing ovation in Game 1 when checking in for the first time.

Jalen Williams, who now plays the role of star for the Thunder in Westbrook's place, shared a message with the former MVP amid their series.

Williams makes honest statement about Westbrook

Williams, who is on the younger side of stars in this league at 24 years old, spent a significant time of his days growing up and watching Westbrook as one of the featured players in the NBA.

The Thunder star let the Nuggets guard know how he felt about the iconic figure in Oklahoma City.

"Russ was one of my favorite players growing up. I'm pretty sure I told him that. I just like the energy he plays with. [I] like how people receive him here is really cool.

He's one of those special cases where like a player means so much more than basketball to like the fan base. Yeah, [I] definitely look up to Russ in that regard."

-Jalen Williams

Westbrook has continued to do a lot of work in the Oklahoma City community that has extended long past his last days wearing a Thunder uniform. That type of stuff will always make him a beloved figure in the area.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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