Russell Westbrook served the Oklahoma City Thunder loyally for a decade. And even after he left, the Oklahoma City faithful welcomed him with open arms upon his return. But now, that welcome may be wearing thin after Westbrook returned to the Paycom Center for the second time this week to face the OKC Thunder in the second game of their Playoff series.

When Russ returned with the Nuggets to the club he called home for 10 years for Game 1, the OKC fans cheered him. They even went as far as to give him a standing ovation; that’s just how much they loved him. And Brodie reciprocated the love he got from them. “Like I’ve always said, I’m truly grateful and indebted to the fans here. They gave me a chance,” Russ said in the locker room after the Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. But this win for the Nuggets seemed to be the tipping point for the OKC fans’ relationship with him.

And national reporter Ramona Shelburne revealed how the fans did something they’d never done before when Russell was in the Paycom Center. They started to boo him during Game 2 and not just once. “My how things have changed. Fans here in OKC are booing Westbrook. First, after he made a jumper to stop the Thunder run. Then when he stepped in to defend Jokic after he took a bump from Jaylin Williams and got a T from Scott Foster. Then again after he hit a 3,” wrote Ramona on X.

Why they chose to boo him this time around is anyone’s guess.

Perhaps it was the addendum Russ added to his comments about the fans in that locker room interview. He did say, “But the reason why they love me is my competitive nature, competitive spirit. I’m gonna do that for my team.” It seems the OKC fans loved this competitive nature when he was playing in the Thunder’s colors. But after he made Denver his home and gave everything he had to get the W in game 1, it seems the OKC fans no longer appreciate the competitive spirit that ‘Beastbrook’ brings.

All in all, this is not just the fans turning on a player they loved since he was a teenager. No, this was the end of an era for Russell Westbrook and the fans of the Thunder. Now, they’ve got new players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren to cheer for. And Russ? He’s just another player on a rival team trying to bounce Oklahoma City from the Playoffs. Thankfully, Russ himself is writing a new chapter in his legacy. And it’s being written in the comfort of his new home in Denver with the Nuggets.

The Denver Nuggets represent a chance for Russell Westbrook to save his legacy

Had Russell Westbrook retired in 2019, we’d all be in awe of the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson. Yes, Russ did it before the ‘Joker’. But that’s not what happened. After leaving the Thunder, Westbrook had ill-fated runs with the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards, and even formed a superteam with LeBron James and Anthony Davis that ended in disaster.

It’s safe to say that his legacy isn’t what it used to be back in the day. But after moving to the Nuggets, slowly but surely, Russ is making things right. He isn’t the world-beater he used to be. But he serves quite an important role for the Nuggets nonetheless — bringing an unpredictable element on the court for them. And this pays off for them more often than not.

You see, without Nikola Jokic on the court, the Nuggets lack a certain flair that they need to push them over the edge against the elite teams in the NBA. But Westbrook’s presence helps them in that regard. And Russ himself acknowledged this after the Nuggets beat the Clippers.

“I think it’s my ability to be a force of nature on the floor, so whatever that looks like. It may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot, it may be a steal, it may be a dunk, it may be a missed three, it may be a made three. It could be all of that, so just take it how it comes, and whatever happens, you go with it,” said Westbrook.

And this injection of chaotic energy is something that has helped the Nuggets a lot this season. A great example of it is the game-winning 3-pointer that Russ got the dime for in Game 1 against the Thunder. He could’ve gone for the layup. Perhaps a lot of the Thunder’s players and fans expected him to. Instead, he passed it to Gordon, who sank the three.

And it’s exactly these unpredictable plays that make Brodie so great. It’s also why the Denver faithful have come to love him so much. You never know what you’re going to get with Russell Westbrook. He sure does make things exciting, though! So, Westbrook may have lost the fans in Oklahoma. But he can still end up a legend in Denver!