It’s been a season to forget for the Sacramento Kings, but one of their veteran stars is putting together a solid season and adding to his Hall of Fame resume.
Kings’ point guard Russell Westbrook continued his ascent in the NBA record books on Tuesday night, rising to become No. 5 on the league’s all-time assists leaderboard.
In a contest against the San Antonio Spurs, Westbrook started dishing out assists quickly, giving him 10,336 in his career. By hitting that mark and continuing past it later in the game, he surpassed a pair of NBA greats in the process: Mark Jackson (10,334) and Steve Nash (10,335).
It’s plausible to say that this might be the highest Westbrook gets on the list, with LeBron James ahead of him at No. 4 and with a significant edge. James boasts 11,909 career assists and is still playing. The top three are Jason Kidd (12,091), Chris Paul (12,552) and John Stockton (15,806).
The Kings weren’t shooting well, leaving Westbrook to surpass Jackson and Nash midway through the second quarter after entering the game needing just three assists to do so. It’s another feather in the cap of a potentially Hall of Fame career. Westbrook is also the NBA all-time leader in triple-doubles with 209.
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At 37 years old, Westbrook has accomplished a ton in his 18-year NBA career. A former MVP, nine-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion and three-time assists leader, the only thing missing from Westbrook’s career is a championship. He came close in his 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but never secured the win.
That won’t be coming this season with the Kings, who own the worst record in the Western Conference. Still, this is a moment Westbrook should be remembered for and solidify his place in NBA history.
