Sacramento Kings veteran point guard Russell Westbrook turned back the clock during Wednesday’s 121-116 home victory over the Golden State Warriors, stepping up for his shorthanded squad.
Westbrook made his presence felt on both ends, scoring inside and out, facilitating for his teammates, dominating the glass, and coming up clutch defensively en route to making history. The nine-time All-Star then proceeded to make a bold claim about his elite rebounding ability.
Russell Westbrook Declares Himself ‘Best Rebounding Guard Ever’ After Record-Breaking Night
Westbrook tallied 23 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and three 3-pointers on an efficient 9-for-13 shooting (69.2%), marking his first triple-double as a King and his record-extending 204th triple-double of his storied career.
The 2017 MVP’s two-way energy proved to be the difference-maker. His series of fourth-quarter offensive rebounds, including a putback tip-in and a back-tap pass to set up a Dennis Schröder triple, helped Sacramento pull away late. Westbrook then sealed the deal by forcing a turnover on Warriors shooting guard Brandin Podziemski with his team ahead 119-114 with 8.6 seconds remaining.
With his 16 rebounds, Westbrook reached 8,734 for his career, surpassing NBA legend-turned-Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd (8,725) for the most career boards by a guard in NBA history.
With his 16 boards tonight, Russell Westbrook now has 8,734 rebounds in his regular season career!
He passes Jason Kidd (8,725) for the most by a guard in NBA history 🤯 https://t.co/bfk4iJDQqb pic.twitter.com/T1jML7RnDW
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 6, 2025
Unaware of the feat, Westbrook daringly alluded to his historic knack for commanding the glass when asked about his “secret” postgame.
“Humbly speaking, I’m the best rebounding guard ever,” Westbrook said. “So, when the ball comes across the rim, I’mma get it.”
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) November 6, 2025
While eye-popping stat lines became the norm for Westbrook during his prime, he has primarily been relegated to a bench role in recent years, limiting his production. However, since being promoted to a starting position with the Kings, he has thrived.
Across four starts in his last five appearances, the 36-year-old is averaging 19.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.8 3-pointers per game on remarkable 52.7/50.0/88.9 shooting splits.
Westbrook took advantage of the absences of his star teammates Domantas Sabonis (ribs) and Zach LaVine (back), and Golden State’s Big 3 of Stephen Curry (illness), Jimmy Butler III (back), and Draymond Green (ribs) on Wednesday. His increased usage allowed him to post his first 20-15-10 game since May 16th, 2021.
Russell Westbrook in Sacramento’s victory:
đź‘‘ 23 points
đź‘‘ 16 rebounds
đź‘‘ 10 assists
đź‘‘ 1 CLUTCH defensive playFirst 20-15-10 game for Russ since May 16th, 2021! pic.twitter.com/rj65ycHTcR
— NBA (@NBA) November 6, 2025
Westbrook continues to defy even the most optimistic of projections for his Year 18 outlook, making his one-year, $3.6 million contract look like a bargain. He seems to be embracing the late-career storyline, though, taking to X postgame to share his iconic “Why Not” slogan.
#WHYNOT?! https://t.co/MWwuttbMKl
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) November 6, 2025
Westbrook’s next chance to deliver another vintage performance comes during Friday’s home clash against his former team, the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (8-1).
