Recently, it was rumored that OKC Thunder legend and current NBA free agent Russell Westbrook has received a rather lucrative offer to play in the Chinese Basketball League for the upcoming season.
While no exact salary proposals have been confirmed, many are speculating that it's in the eight-figure range. Considering that all the NBA has reportedly been willing to offer is the veteran minimum at roughly $3.6 million, this is a significant pay bump.
Of course, for those familiar with Westbrook, money has never traditionally been the driving force in his decision-making process. At this stage in his career, after having accumulated well over $300 million in total earnings, this is now almost certainly a lower priority.
Instead, what should keep Westbrook driven to stay state-side is the potential for him to continue growing out his all-time legacy, especially with the fact that he's so close to entering into yet another exclusive club.
Thunder legend 75 assists away from yet another wild achievement
Already, the beloved former Thunder star owns a large chunk of the franchise's all-time accolades and, league-wide, is widely renowned for his triple-double feats, as he's pacing all players with 203.
Should he remain in the NBA for at least another season, there's presumably that innate motivation for him to continue adding more to his stat line and, in turn, further separate himself from the rapidly approaching Nikola Jokic (164).
However, flying wildly under the radar is his standing of being just 75 assists away from becoming only the second player in league history to score 25,000+ points and dish out 10,000+ assists in their careers.
The only other player to do so -- LeBron James.
Frankly, this achievement is far more likely to be accomplished in 2025-26 if he were to remain in the NBA than him recording enough triple-doubles to make his standing atop the totem pole unreachable for Jokic, as Westbrook totaled 457 assists last year with the Denver Nuggets while finishing with just four triple-doubles.
At this point in his career, there's no denying that Russ is a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer who has solidified himself as one of the top 10 points guard in league history.
Of course, with how he's wired, there's no doubt that the idea of adding more exclusive achievements like this to his already extensive and elite resume is a serious interest of his during these twilight years of his career.