Russell Westbrook of the Denver Nuggets didn’t have the best game on Tuesday night, but his teammates have his back and stepped up to defend him.

Following the game, Aaron Gordon spoke on behalf of Westbrook and pushed back against a report that cast a dark shadow over him.

“Earlier, I caught wind of an article that came out about Russell Westbrook in our locker room after Game 2, which was a completely arbitrary article,” Gordon said, via Legion Hoops. “Russ is one of the most talented basketball players that has ever played the game of basketball, and, quite frankly, he’s been great for us all year long. He’s going to continue to be great for us, he’s going to make a huge impact, and he’s going to help us win these next two games.”

Aaron Gordon:

“Russell Westbrook is a great teammate… and he’s gonna help us win the next two games.”

(via @VicLombardi)pic.twitter.com/joIDuczSZo

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 14, 2025

This was a thoughtful and caring response from Gordon, right when Westbrook needed it.

On Tuesday, a report was published that cited an anonymous Nuggets player calling Westbrook “immature.”

Gordon wasn’t buying into that article and instead wanted the world to know how much he values Westbrook.

Throughout his career, Westbrook has amassed his fair share of criticism from fans and analysts who don’t like some of his choices and attitude.

But he is rarely ever called out by fellow players.

In fact, it seems he has a good reputation among the people he has played with, even when he hasn’t performed well.

During Tuesday’s game, Westbrook put up just four points, four rebounds, and three assists.

It wasn’t his best showing, but he has had plenty of good games for the Nuggets, and he has clearly impacted the team’s culture in a positive way.

Gordon’s statement shows that Westbrook has fans on the roster, despite what an inside report has said.

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