In a 2015 game against the Blazers, Russell Westbrook got kneed in the head by a teammate and fractured his cheekbone.
He stayed in the game—with a visible dent—and finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Brodie had surgery and missed one game.
His next game, wearing a protective mask:
— 49 PTS
— 15 REB
— 10 AST
This is literally the saddest way for a legendary player to go out. The NBA forced him into retirement by blackballing him for years, leaving him with minimum contracts and barely giving him a real chance. The NBA retired Russ. Russ didn’t retire from the NBA 💔
Let’s be absolutely clear: the Oklahoma City Thunder MUST retire his iconic No. 0 jersey 🔥
Hanging it in the rafters is mandatory to honor the man who gave his heart and soul to that city and built the foundation of the franchise.
Russell Westbrook, thank you for the historic triple-doubles, the dunks, the unmatched loyalty to the grind, and the passion you brought to the floor every single night 🙏🏽