Translation of the article content into English:
When it comes to the most controversial active players, Westbrook is definitely part of the discussion. In his prime, Westbrook was a superstar who could fly and dodge, and he was also the totem of the Thunder. He led the Thunder to the finals and personally won numerous prestigious honors such as the regular season MVP trophy, scoring champion, assists leader, and the first team All-NBA. However, after leaving the Thunder, Westbrook's performance was not good, moving from team to team including the Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, and Clippers, with mediocre play and average team results. Many fans say that Westbrook declined too quickly at the age of 36. But after joining the Nuggets, Westbrook has set a record that is unprecedented in the 77-year history of the NBA, making his minimum salary an excellent value.
During his time with the Lakers, Westbrook earned over $40 million per year, but he was not compatible with the James-Brow combination, resulting in poor team performance. After Westbrook left, the Lakers advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals. After joining the Clippers and having a super lineup with Leonard, George, Harden, and Westbrook, they still failed to achieve good results. Ultimately, the Clippers gave up on Westbrook and traded him to the Jazz. The Jazz then cut Westbrook, and he made the decision to join the Nuggets on a minimum salary.
At the time, the outside world said that Westbrook was the fastest declining player. But this year with the Nuggets, Westbrook has become a treasure. Today, the Nuggets challenged the Jazz away, and Westbrook played as the starting point guard for 33 minutes, shooting 7-for-7 from the field, scoring 16 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 10 assists, and contributing 4 steals without any turnovers. Such a personal performance can be described as perfect, and he also led the Nuggets to victory. It is worth mentioning that teammate Jokic also recorded a triple-double with 36 points, 22 rebounds, and 11 assists, achieving the feat together with Westbrook.
This is not the first time Westbrook has achieved a triple-double with a teammate. During his time with the Lakers, Westbrook once recorded a triple-double of 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Rockets, while James recorded a triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. During his time with the Thunder, Westbrook also scored 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Trail Blazers, while George had a splendid stat line of 47 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Thus, Westbrook became the only player in the 77-year history of the NBA to record a triple-double with three different teammates.
So far this season, Westbrook has played 31 games for the Nuggets, averaging 26 minutes per game, scoring an average of 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists with a shooting percentage of 45%. Compared to his peak, there has indeed been a significant decline. However, with an annual salary of only $3.3 million, Westbrook's performance at the minimum wage can be described as perfect. Moreover, the current Westbrook is one of the best defensive players within the Nuggets. At the age of 36, earning the minimum wage, with strong defense, versatility, and setting a historic record, he is absolutely a bargain.