Inside The Nuggets

Timberwolves Player Made Russell Westbrook Statement That Went Viral

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook is an NBA legend.

Joey Linn

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) against the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena.
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) against the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook is entering his 17th season in the NBA. An all-time great player, Westbrook has one of the largest individual fanbases in the league.

Westbrook is at the stage of his career where many of his opponents grew up watching him play. One of the most exciting players of all-time, Westbrook has a lot of fans around the league.

Playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in an NBA preseason game, Westbrook shared a moment with rookie guard Rob Dillingham. Born in 2005, just three years before Westbrook was drafted, Dillingham grew up watching the Oklahoma City Thunder legend.

Speaking about this after the game, Dillingham reacted to his moment with Westbrook.

“That’s crazy,” Dillingham said. “I’ve watched Westbrook since I was a little kid, literally. Since I was like middle school, for sure. I’ve seen Westbrook my whole life, and it’s crazy to just know that he knows who I am.”

These comments went viral, with this initial post tallying 270,000 views on X. Bleacher Report reshared the video, tallying over two million views on Instagram.

Via Bleacher Report: "T-Wolves rook couldn’t believe Russ knew who he was 🔥"

This was a special moment for the 19-year-old Dillingham who was chosen eighth overall in the 2024 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs before being dealt to Minnesota. 

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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