Plenty of players switch numbers during the offseason. Most come when a player changes teams; however, some players switch numbers due to incoming teammates or for their own reasons. Former MVP Russell Westbrook recently swapped his jersey number to four when he signed with the Denver Nuggets. However, this caused a little more controversy than most. Here’s why Westbrook’s jersey number changed (and why it didn’t) and his history of jerseys throughout his time in the league.
Former NBA MVP Switches Jersey Number
Two Players with Zero?
When it was initially reported that Westbrook was headed to the Nuggets, everyone assumed he would wear zero. However, Christian Braun currently wears the number. The guard is 23 years old and looks like a young star in the making with the Nuggets, but he didn’t plan on switching jersey numbers.
This created some controversy, as sources reported that Westbrook wanted zero, but Braun refused to give it up. Everyone saw zero as Westbrook’s jersey number. Ultimately, the former MVP addressed that these rumors weren’t true. Braun and Westbrook reportedly hadn’t even talked as teammates when this story came out. There was no disagreement, which Westbrook clarified with a statement on Instagram:
“Let’s please leave our young star alone. CB and I never discussed him passing along the number 0. I didn’t want, inquire about, or request the number 0 because I chose to mark this new change with a “new” number. The excitement of the new season has already begun, and unfortunately I know that means the offload of many false stories. Not today! CB and I are locked in and ready to get things rockin’ in the mile high city!”
Westbrook’s Jersey History
For almost all of his career, Westbrook wore the number zero. However, this isn’t always because he wanted to. Westbrook wanted or planned to wear the number four for many teams, but it was unavailable.
“Obviously I could have stayed with zero if I wanted to, but I just decided to [pick four]. It’s kind of my first time in my career I can go back to my original number. When I got to Oklahoma, even at UCLA, I got there, Arron Afflalo had it at UCLA. Then I got to Oklahoma City, Nick Collison had it. Then when I got to Houston, Danuel House had it. So I didn’t have an opportunity to kind of go back to my original number. Four is my favorite number. It reminds me and it gives me a sense of my roots and where I started from and where I get it from.”
While Westbrook has only ever worn two jersey numbers (zero and four), he’s had multiple eras with each jersey number. He wore zero on the Thunder, Rockets, and Clippers; however, Westbrook’s role on each team was dramatically different. On the Thunder, Westbrook was the go-to guy or the second option behind Kevin Durant. James Harden was the team’s first option when he wore zero with the Rockets. On the Clippers, Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George were considered the superior talents. However, when he did wear the number four with the Wizards, he was seen as the first option.
