Russell Westbrook, Clippers back each other on day one

The former MVP, who had a nightmare tenure in the purple and gold, now throws on his fifth different jersey in four seasons. So far, Westbrook is happy in his new digs.

Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds off the bench for the Lakers this year. 

The Clippers, who've had ties to "traditional point guards" throughout the entirety of the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard era, hope he can be more efficient, mainly as a distributor, and they can maximize his strengths due to their versatility and much sharper shooting compared to his previous teams.

The 34-year-old, like the Clippers, also understands his window to compete for a title is closing.

During Westbrook's introductory press conference, head coach Tyronn Lue said, “When you have a Hall of Fame player that was willing to come off the bench with the Lakers and try something different to help the team win, that means a lot. Just showed you how much he wants to win. So we’re just excited," according to Law Murray of The Athletic.

Lue's words likely mean a lot to the all-time triple-double leader, considering he's been called a locker room "vampire" in recent days. 

Amid trade rumors and a flurry of harmful comments, Westbrook never felt comfortable as a Laker, nor did he feel he belonged. In addition to remaining in his hometown, the UCLA product will be playing in a much more welcoming environment.

It's safe to say Westbrook landed in the right spot. The Clippers value his character as much as his on-court abilities, and he's very fond of many players on the team.

Los Angeles is 33-28 and the Western Conference's fourth seed with 21 games left. Westbrook's experience and skillset should allow him to find a role on this team quickly -- but neither party really has a choice.