Sacramento Kings forwards Keegan Murray and DeMar DeRozan share their thoughts on victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 24, 2025. By HECTOR AMEZCUA
Keep an eye on Russell Westbrook when the Sacramento Kings open a three-game road trip against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at Toyota Center.
Oftentimes Westbrook’s leadership shows up on the court as the 18-year NBA veteran instructs and encourages teammates, but sometimes it goes unseen or unnoticed.
Rookie center Maxime Raynaud shared an example of Westbrook’s locker room influence following a 128-119 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Raynaud, who has taken on a larger role with Domantas Sabonis sidelined due to a partially torn meniscus, came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points with four rebounds and one blocked shot in 22 minutes.
“I’m just trying to make up for the void that (Sabonis’) absence is giving us, but really I just talked to Russ at halftime and he was like, ‘Look, I’m going to try to find you,’” Raynaud said. “Try to work around the ball, try to roll hard, try and do the little things, and then eventually I got some success with it.”
Success is something that has eluded the Kings (5-16) so far this season, but Raynaud’s performance represented a small victory for Sacramento in what is quickly becoming a developmental year. Progress will likely be measured by Keegan Murray’s emergence as a two-way standout, the growth of rookies Nique Clifford and Raynaud, and general manager Scott Perry’s ability to revamp the roster.
Westbrook wants to help. At this stage in his career, the 37-year-old point guard takes pride in helping younger players learn the finer points of the game.
Westbrook recognized the opportunity for a teachable moment in Salt Lake City, where Raynaud scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter. Westbrook’s role in Raynaud’s breakout performance would have gone unnoticed if the 22-year-old center from Stanford hadn’t mentioned it during an interview with The Sacramento Bee following the game.
“That’s a part of leadership,” Westbrook said. “Sometimes leadership is quiet. It doesn’t have to be loud. If Max wouldn’t have told you, you would probably never know, but I think that’s the best part of leading. Getting a chance to better see him have some confidence, make some shots, play well. I enjoy seeing other people do well, so I was happy to see him do well.”
Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) during a game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com
Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA selection, a former MVP and a Future Hall of Famer who signed with Sacramento less than a week before the season began. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles (206) and continues to climb the leaderboards in numerous other categories, including points (21st), rebounds (61st), assists (8th) and steals (16th).
Kings coach Doug Christie had high praise for Westbrook when asked about his work with Raynaud during the Utah game.
“That’s the part of Russell Westbrook that nobody gets to see,” Christie said. “He sat in with coach Mike Miller when he was talking to bigs about when they play together, understanding where to be and different calls. When our point guard does that, it’s not just your coach talking. It’s also the person who’s on the floor educating said position, and his willingness to speak in the locker room is a positive thing. There’s been so many positive things about Russell. I love him. Sign me up.”