Russell Westbrook got stiffed by new teammate for his desired jersey number

Mar 3, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks on during halftime against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook may be heading into his 17th season in the NBA, but he is still very much the new guy in town when it comes to the Denver Nuggets.

Nuggets writer Harrison Wind reports this week that the new Denver guard Westbrook made an inquiry with Nuggets teammate Christian Braun about getting the No. 0 jersey from him. But unfortunately for Westbrook, Braun didn’t budge and wouldn’t give up the number, Wind says.

Braun, 23, is 12 years the junior of Westbrook, 35. But he was a Nuggets draft pick in 2022 who has worn the No. 0 throughout his career with the team, including when they won the NBA championship in 2023. Meanwhile, Westbrook has also worn the No. 0 for much of his basketball life (including in college at UCLA and for the significant majority of his NBA career). He has come to be associated with that number.

But as a result of Braun’s refusal to give Westbrook the number, the former NBA MVP will be wearing a different jersey number for the Nuggets instead. Braun is obviously under no obligation to give up his uniform number, but sometimes players choose to do so, either for free or for a monetary figure. Westbrook and Braun are projected to be Denver’s two top guards behind Jamal Murray next season, so they should be playing nice with each other before long (even in spite of their impasse here).