Russell Westbrook Turns Heads in Kings' Loss to Lakers

The new Sacramento Kings guard had an impressive performance against his former team.

Oct 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) between plays against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Since spending the first 11 years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook has been jumping around the NBA. In the seven years since leaving Oklahoma City, Westbrook has played for six different franchises, and now, he has suited up for the Sacramento Kings.

Westbrook, 36, signed with the Kings right before the 2052-26 season started, and on Sunday night, he had his best game yet with his new team. And, it happened to be against his former team.

Westbrook shines vs. Lakers

The Kings suffered a 127-120 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, but the 36-year-old point guard and former Laker made a statement. In 27 minutes off the bench, Westbrook dropped 18 points, six rebounds, six assists, and one steal on 6-12 shooting from the field and 4-6 from three-point range.

Russell Westbrook tonight:

18 Points
6 Rebounds
6 Assists
6/12 FGM
4/6 3PM
27 Minutes pic.twitter.com/vdU2losF01

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 27, 2025

This was, by far, Westbrook's best performance in a Kings uniform through three games, as he did all he could to keep Sacramento afloat in a grueling matchup.

Of course, after Westbrook was practically counted out this offseason, with talks about retirement or him jumping overseas, it is great to see the future Hall of Famer make some noise with an incredible performance. Many fans took to social media to react to Westbrook's great night.

"NBA teams [are] crazy for not picking him up," one fan said after the Kings were the only team with reported interest in the veteran guard.

Many fans are still disrespecting Westbrook after Sunday's performance, with one fan having his back by commenting, "A lot of haters in these comments just respect greatness. Y'all counted him out."

RUSSELL WESTBROOK WITH THE MOVES. 😮‍💨

pic.twitter.com/PfizPvvlKz

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 27, 2025

"He can still add value it was insane it wasn’t signed until the very last minute," another fan replied.

Of course, getting this version of Westbrook for 82 games might not happen, but if it does, the Kings could be a dangerous team, with one fan saying, "If this can be his stat-line more times than not, the Kings might actually be something this season."

Russell Westbrook from beyond the arc!

He's got 16 points and 4 triples for the Kings 👌 pic.twitter.com/PTU4wvw9d6

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2025

Even if Westbrook is not scoring 18 points or hitting four threes every game, everyone knows the veteran point guard will make hustle plays, fight for rebounds, and be an elite leader. Sure, the 36-year-old, who turns 37 in two weeks, is not putting up MVP-caliber numbers anymore, but his impact is severely underrated.

Whether Westbrook just turned things up a notch because he was facing his former team or if he can make this type of impact every game, the Kings love it. And, who are the Kings playing in their next game? The OKC Thunder.