How disgusted I was at the beginning, how much respect I am now! 3.3 million, but the substitute became the fig leaf for the team.

The NBA playoffs are in full swing. The NBA semi-finals have already started, but the situation in the playoffs has undergone a polar reversal. The Knicks and Pacers in the East have both achieved the following fouls and 0 losses respectively. The Warriors in the West have completed their first kill against the Timberwolves when Curry was injured and retreated. The Nuggets also won the first game with Gordon's finals, but the Nuggets fell behind first and were won by the Thunder away. After the whole game, everyone's game was a disaster, and Westbrook became the only fig leaf.

In fact, everyone knows that the Nuggets can defeat Westbrook, a substitute player is worth only $3.3 million. Westbrook averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game in the first round of the playoffs, and his three-point shooting percentage is as high as 41.9%. Although the data is not explosive, his tactical role is irreplaceable.

At the beginning, because coach Malone reused Westbrook, he was disliked by the management. In the end, the champion coach was ruthlessly abandoned. Now, how wise Malone is. Westbrook is mature in the playoffs. Although he still makes mistakes occasionally, the spiritual attributes that Westbrook brings to the team cannot be replaced by everyone. In the game between Nuggets vs Thunder, G1, in the last round, Westbrook made the most contribution to Gordon's final victory. The first credit: give up the competition for rebounds, actively run the ball, and advance with the ball. The second credit credit: at the critical moment, he did not choose to make a layup by himself, but passed it to Gordon in the open position, who made a three-pointer to complete the final credit. The whole world remembers Gordon's final victory, but the author believes that Westbrook is the one who has made the greatest contribution. In the

G2 game, Murray and Porter Jr. performed poorly. Jokic encountered the Thunder's strict defense. Westbrook used his enthusiasm to fight the basket again and again to create the only scoring opportunity. Many people lost more than 30 points in the first half and performed unqualified. However, no one remembers that if Westbrook had not scored 15 points in the first half, the Nuggets would have lost more.

does not deny that Westbrook sometimes gets hot, but isn't this the reason why we like Westbrook? He is a straightforward player. Whether on or off the court, Westbrook can always infect everyone with his enthusiasm. Many people like to use Westbrook's annual salary of 3.3 million to tease the Nuggets' big gap to describe Westbrook, but the author does not think so. Westbrook's net worth is indeed sorry for his performance, because in my heart, Westbrook is never a basic player, but a real MVP. Even at the age of 36, Westbrook can still use his passion, experience and defensive fighting spirit to inject vitality into the Nuggets' weak bench.

It has to be admitted that Westbrook is no longer young, and the Nuggets still cannot defeat Westbrook with the rotation of 6 people. The 35-year-old Harden is already exhausted, but Westbrook always has endless enthusiasm. The author is very curious, where is Westbrook's physical limit? Does the boundary of age really not exist in Westbrook?

Westbrook's story is a microcosm of the spirit of "not giving up" in the basketball world. From the Thunder's lone hero, to the controversial focus of the Lakers and Clippers, to the Nuggets' redemption journey, his career is full of drama. In the 2025 playoffs, he proved that basic-paying players can still control the situation, but also revealed the pain and limitations of transformation. No matter what the future is, Westbrook has interpreted what "the dignity of a veteran" is with his actions. In the game between talent and time, he chose to burn his last passion and do everything for his championship dream. Perhaps, this is the most moving chapter of sports: even if the road down the mountain is rugged, you have to walk vigorously.