How Russell Westbrook is leading Denver Nuggets to joy

Read my latest Andscape essay about the nine-time All Star finding a gentle landing in his rollercoaster career

For my Andscape debut, I wrote about nine-time All Star Russell Westbrook teaming up with Nikola Jokic to lead the Denver Nuggets to joy—and hopefully, a championship.

Massive thank you to Jesse Washington, Shivani Kumar, and, of course, my wife Elizabeth for helping me push this piece and my pen. It’s always special when I get to write about things I love and the people and moments that have shaped me, and I’m immensely grateful I got to do that with this one.

A preview:

Source: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The NBA is nothing if not chaotic. I often liken it to reality television — where drama reigns supreme, and I can’t help but be drawn to its most outlandish players.

Few characters have been more intriguing to watch than Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook. After spending his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the veteran point guard has been on five different teams in the last six years.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest talents the league has ever seen, Westbrook is a nine-time NBA All-Star and former league MVP. On the flipside, he also received some of the harshest treatment of his career — to the tune of death threats and people harassing his family — while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Well into the back-half of his career, Westbrook is still excited to compete. And in his newfound role with the Nuggets, where he’s enjoying some of his best numbers in recent years, it seems like the Long Beach native has found a gentle landing after a rollercoaster of a career.

For all of Westbrook’s pain, is he not deserving of a little joy? And possibly another shot at his first NBA championship?

I’ve been a Denver Nuggets fan for more than 20 years. While I fell in love with basketball watching early 2000s hoops in my Grandma Gwen’s basement, I never had a team to call my own until the Nuggets drafted Carmelo Anthony and graced the streets with their powder blue and gold jerseys, which are still my favorite to this day.

The rest of my essay includes:

• Carmelo Anthony’s thoughts on Russell Westbrook

• Westbrook’s impact on the Denver Nuggets

• The night Westbrook ruined Nikola Jokic’s sophomore season

• Westbrook as an embodiment of pain and joy

Click through to Andscape to read the full essay (and if you want to share it with your people, please share the Andscape link).

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P.S. In case you missed it, my latest newsletter essay examines Christian athletes’ public displays of godly affection and the constant barrage of contradictions that is living in the United States:

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