Russell Westbrook clarified the reasons why he will not wear the number 0 for the Denver Nuggets this season.
The nine-time All-Star will wear No. 4, which Westbrook wore during his lone season with the Washington WizardsThe number was previously worn by his new Denver teammate Hunter Tysonwho will move to number 5
After a report surfaced that a Nuggets teammate Christian Braun wouldn’t give up his No. 0, Westbrook took to Instagram to refute it.
“Please let’s leave our young star alone,” Westbrook said on his Instagram Story, according to CBS Sports“CB and I never discussed the possibility of him passing on the number 0. I did not want to inquire or ask for the number 0 because I chose to mark this new change with a “new” number.”
Westbrook has worn No. 0 in 15 of his 16 games. NBA seasons and for one season at UCLA. He wore number 4 in high school, but it was taken by Arron Afflalo when Westbrook arrived at UCLA, prompting him to switch to number 0. When Westbrook was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunderhe wore number 0 because Nick Collison already wore number 4.
In 2017, Westbrook revealed the special meaning of the number 4.
“My favorite number has always been four because that’s the number of people in my family – my little brother, my mom and my dad,” Westbrook said, according to Sporting News. “My family is always with me at every milestone. Even though they’re not here physically, I talk to them before and after every game and I know they’re watching me and they’re with me in spirit. There’s not one person in my family that’s pushed me more than another, they’ve all pushed me and they’ve all had an impact on me.”
Westbrook enters his 17th NBA season and first with the Nuggets after signing a two-year contract worth $6.8 million with Denver in July. The deal came after the Los Angeles Clippers traded the 35-year-old guard to the Utah Jazz and the two parties reached a contract buyout agreement.
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(Photo: Kevin Jairaj / USA Today)
