Russell Westbrook Makes History In Game Dedicated To Slain Rapper

Sports has a way of uplifting people in a time of tragedy. And tonight at the Staples Center Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook did just that. Westbrook pulled off an incredible feat last accomplished by the great Wilt Chamberlain. But, what he did in the game’s final seconds was even greater.

Something Special Was Brewing Early

It was obvious from the early going that Westbrook was going to do something special in front of the LA crowd. He started the game off with an amazing 10 assists in the first quarter. His facilitating helped the Thunder secure a 6 point lead at the end of the first stanza. Throughout the rest of the game Westbrook would evenly dole out assists while scoring timely buckets. He capped off his spectacular night grabbing his 20th rebound with close to a minute remaining. What came next was perhaps the greatest moment of the night.

Dedicating His Moment To A Friend.

After his historic rebound Westbrook could be seen pounding his chest and saying “this is for you.” When asked after the game by Jason Terry what he meant, he exclaimed “This wasn’t for me, this was for my bro, this was for Nipsey.” Nipsey, of course, being Nipsey Hussle, a well know Los Angeles rap artist who was slain on Sunday in front of his own clothing store. Hussle’s murder sent shockwaves around the country and the loss was felt by many in the sports community. It meant a little more for the Thunder point guard who is also a Southern California native and friend of the late rapper. This was moment to be proud of for number 0 and even Lakers fans knew it. They triumphantly rose to their feet to give the point guard a much deserved standing ovation.