NBA Makes Russell Westbrook Announcement on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Nov 16, 2025 5:36 PM ET

Russell Westbrook is coming off a historic performance for the Sacramento Kings in their last game. On Thursday, the former NBA MVP produced a 13-point, 10-rebound, 14-assist triple-double in Sacramento’s 124-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Westbrook’s elite playmaking skills were on full display in the game, and he made history by becoming just the eighth player to amass 10,000 career assists.

Westbrook was back at it again on Sunday as the Kings faced off against a Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs side. The 37-year-old veteran marked another historic milestone during the game, prompting a big announcement from the NBA.

Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook reacts during the first half of an NBA game.Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Westbrook marked his second consecutive start on Sunday. This was after Kings head coach Doug Christie decided to elevate Westbrook to the starting unit, replacing point guard Dennis Schroder. This could potentially be a permanent move for Westbrook, who's proven in Year 18 that he still has a lot of gas left in the tank.

In 13 games played entering Sunday’s contest, Westbrook has produced averages of 14.4 points on 44.1% shooting, 6.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and a career-high 2.1 triples in 28.0 minutes per contest.

On Sunday, Westbrook achieved another historic feat. The two-time NBA scoring champion recorded his 26,398th career point in the first half, allowing him to surpass Hall of Famer Paul Pierce in the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard.

“Congrats to @russwest44 of the @SacramentoKings for moving up to 18th on the all-time SCORING list!” the league posted on X.

Congrats to @russwest44 of the @SacramentoKings for moving up to 18th on the all-time SCORING list! pic.twitter.com/iWXXesh7YS
— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2025

As of writing, Westbrook is 98 points behind Tim Duncan (26,496) for the No. 17 spot. Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Westbrook should be able to pass the Spurs legend on the scoring list within the next couple of weeks.

More importantly, though, Westbrook will need to be at his best to help lead the Kings this season. Sacramento entered Sunday’s contest with a 3-10 record and on the heels of five straight losses. The silver lining for Westbrook and Co. is that it’s still very early in the season and there is still a lot of basketball to be played this year.

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

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