Russell Westbrook will not be wearing his familiar jersey No. 0 when he takes the court with the Denver Nuggets next season.
Westbrook asked his new teammate Christian Braun for the number but the 23-year-old guard “didn’t budge,” per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports.
Instead, Westbrook will sport No. 4 next season, which he wore for one year with the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 season. Hunter Tyson gifted Westbrook his new Nuggets number.
“Hunter Tyson will wear No. 5 this season after giving No. 4 to Russell Westbrook,” Wind tweeted on Monday. “There was an inquiry by Westbrook into wearing No. 0, I’m told, but Christian Braun didn’t budge. Tyson gave Westbrook No. 4 free of charge.”
Braun’s decision not to give Westbrook the number — even for a price — didn’t sit well with some fans.
“And just like that, Braun lost a ton of support,” one fan wrote.
Westbrook, a future Hall of Famer with a storied career, has a resume that speaks volumes. Yet, fans were quick to point out that Braun also made his mark in Denver wearing the number zero as a key role player on the Nuggets’ championship team in 2023.