Russell Westbrook Talks Playing With James Harden: ‘I’m Not Worried About It’

Russell Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets earlier this month, and at a press conference on Friday, he was introduced as by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. Almost immediately, Westbrook was asked how he thinks he’ll perform alongside the equally ball-dominant James Harden. 

“To able to win you gotta be able to sacrifice some parts of your game, and we both understand that,” Westbrook said. “We both understand that we have one common goal and that’s to win a championship, so we understand what we have to do. I’m not worried about it, I know James is not worried about it. I can play off the ball.”

While this isn’t the first time the two have played together, a lot has changed since they played side-by-side for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Overall, Westbrook appears happy to be reunited with Harden. “It’s an amazing opportunity” Westbrook added. “To reunite with James is another amazing chapter in my career. We have a great organization, group of guys, front office, coaching staff, and an opportunity to do great things.”

As for his thoughts on Harden being responsible for helping him join the Rockets, Westbrook said, “James is persistent if he wants something done.” He continued, “It was a collaborative effort. I thought it was the best decision for my career and the chance to reunite with a brother and a friend. It was exciting to me.”

It remains to be seen how the two will fare on the court together after all this time, but there’s a lot of positivity from both players so far.