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[Saba Sports News] Over the past few years, the Denver Nuggets have built one of the strongest core groups in the NBA. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon leading the way, they celebrated their first NBA championship in 2023. However, that formula didn’t quite work in this past postseason.
A less-than-healthy Jamal Murray slowed the Nuggets in their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the bigger issue was a lack of bench depth. Denver sorely missed Bruce Brown Jr., and now they’ll also have to move forward without dependable 3-and-D player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
In response to these key losses, general manager Calvin Booth made a bold move by bringing in future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook. Though his exact role is yet to be defined, Westbrook will take on some of the load usually carried by Denver’s star quartet.
At 35, Westbrook could turn out to be Denver’s X-factor in the 2024-25 season—a surprising twist many didn’t see coming before the offseason. Yet, there’s reason for optimism, and Westbrook himself is excited about this fresh chance to win his first ring in nearly a decade.
He recently debuted his new Nuggets jersey, now wearing No. 4 instead of the familiar zero he’s sported since his UCLA days. While there were rumors that Christian Braun refused to give up the number, Westbrook clarified that he simply preferred to return to his favorite No. 4.
In the end, the number on the jersey matters less than what it represents—a chance to bring another championship to Denver. Despite facing ups and downs, Westbrook remains focused on putting the team first, especially at this stage of his career.