Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones shared a touching tribute to Russell Westbrook after he announced his retirement from the NBA.
Westbrook officially confirmed on Wednesday that he is retiring after 18 seasons in the NBA. His next stop will be the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, as Westbrook is undoubtedly one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
“Here’s to a great career! Wishing you the best, Russ,” the Nuggets wrote on X following Westbrook’s retirement announcement.
Spencer Jones Reacts to Russell Westbrook’s Retirement
Taking to his social media after Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA, Jones — who played with Westbrook in Denver during his rookie season in 2024-25 — shared a touching tribute to his former teammate by telling a heartfelt story about “The Brodie.”
“‘Don’t miss, rook.’ That was my introduction to Russell Westbrook. Summer before my first year in the league. All the guys in town are playing pickup. I hit the game-winning shot, but we have a rule that you have to validate a game winner by making a free throw to officially end the game. After I made that shot, Russ chest-checked me with the ball at the free throw line. Got right in my ear, said it softly. ‘Don’t miss, rook.’ Then he stood right next to me. Not moving. Just standing there. That was the intensity. It wasn’t mean or personal. That’s just how he was. He did not want to lose. And if I missed that free throw, the game keeps going. I hit it. And he shook his head in light approval, like OK, maybe he can handle the moment. That intensity never turned off. Not in pickup, not in practice, not in film, not even in some simple arguments. The energy, the joy, the competitiveness was on every single day. And I tried to emulate that on the court because it was impossible to be around it and not raise your own standard,” Jones wrote on his X.
“Russ taught me the ins and outs of the game: the politics from the front office down, how to carry yourself, and not only how to handle pressure, but embrace it. And there were the rookie duties too. Getting him meals, handling what needed to be handled on the road. But that was well worth the price of admission to learn next to one of the all-time greats. A lot of what I’ve accomplished and my longevity in this league traces back to that first year learning from him. Congrats on a legendary career, Russ! @russwest44.”
Spencer Jones Back With Nuggets
Jones was a restricted free agent this offseason, and he signed an offer sheet with the rival Oklahoma City Thunder — coincidentally, the team Westbrook starred with for the first 11 years of his NBA career — for two years and $12 million, which the Nuggets ended up matching.
Now that Jones is officially back on Denver’s roster for next season, he’ll play an important role as a forward for the Nuggets as they look to make a deep playoff push. As for his minutes, they will likely be determined by what happens with Peyton Watson, a fellow RFA who is still without a contract for next season. But either way, the Nuggets matched the offer sheet to Jones because they believe in him, just like Westbrook did.
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