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Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets guard, had surgery for two breaks in his right hand: an injury he incurred during the NBA Playoffs.
Denver Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook (AFP)
You can love him or hate him, but one can never deny Russell Westbrook.
The Denver Nuggets guard proved his grit and never-say-die dedication to the game, as he himself broke news of undergoing surgery on Tuesday to repair two breaks in his right hand that he incurred playing through the NBA Playoffs.
The Nuggets, at the end of their season, were gassed, gobbled up by injuries — Aaron Gordon played on one leg — and saddled with depleted depth.
Still, they made it deep into the playoffs, all the way into Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the roaring OKC Thunder, to be exact, where they ultimately were outdone by the brilliance of the SGA-led squad in a 125-93 romp.
Westbrook, who was seen playing through the playoffs with heavily bandaged fingers, confirmed everyone’s suspicions, revealing that he had indeed played through with injury.
Just saw this in my Word of Westbrook newsletter from this morning after seeing reports on social.Russell Westbrook is having surgery on his right hand to fix two breaks that happened this season. Played through a broken hand. pic.twitter.com/euecdRk7Wv
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) May 27, 2025
“I’m grateful for everyone’s support all year, and I can’t wait to be back out there at 100% soon,” the veteran said in a statement posted to X by The Athletic.
“The comeback is already in motion.”
Westbrook, 36, said the injury occurred during the 2024-25 season. His fingers were heavily taped during Denver’s playoff run, which ended on May 18 with a six-game series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
Injury Update:Russell Westbrook has undergone surgery on his right hand to repair multiple ligament tears. He is expected to resume full off-season training this summer. pic.twitter.com/fx9ZhSzZxG
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 27, 2025
A nine-time All-Star and the 2016-17 league MVP, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 75 games (36 starts) in his first season with the Nuggets.
The two-time NBA scoring champion boasts career averages of 21.2 points, 8.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds in 1,237 games (1,075 starts) with the Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Nuggets.
Westbrook has a player option for 2025-26 that carries a $3.47 million cap hit. He is the all-time leader in triple-doubles (203) and ranks eighth in NBA history in assists (9,925) and 23rd in points (26,205) but is still seeking his first championship.
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