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[Saba Sports News] Russell Westbrook’s 14th NBA season has come to a close—and he’s revealed it was more physically taxing than many realized.
The former MVP made a surprising announcement Tuesday via his personal newsletter, revealing that he will undergo surgery on his right hand to repair “two breaks” suffered during the season.
The Denver Nuggets later provided additional details, stating that Westbrook also sustained “multiple ligament tears” in the hand. Despite the injuries, he’s expected to be ready for full offseason training.
It’s unclear when exactly the 36-year-old guard suffered the injury, especially given his performance in the first round of the playoffs against the LA Clippers. Westbrook looked sharp in that series, averaging 13.8 points on efficient 43/42/71 shooting splits.
However, his production dipped in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he averaged just 9.9 points on 35/22/70 splits during Denver’s seven-game series loss.
This marks the second straight season Westbrook has dealt with a broken hand, adding another layer of intrigue to his upcoming offseason. He holds a $3.5 million player option for next year, a figure he may have outplayed given his season averages of 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.
As for that player option, Westbrook has yet to reveal his plans—and wasn’t exactly forthcoming when asked about it after the Nuggets’ season-ending loss, responding to one reporter’s question with trademark sarcasm.