PLAYA VISTA — He came in smiling, an obvious sign that Russell Westbrook was happy, maybe even thrilled, to leave behind the last year and half and start anew with the Clippers. The fresh start began when the team officially announced Wednesday that it had signed the veteran point guard.
Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
“I’m super excited, man. I’m just excited to get back to playing,” Westbrook said, still smiling. “I love to play basketball and I just have a lot of fun while doing it. I get to stay home, see the wife and the kids, and take them to school in the morning. That’s a big part of my day and you know, nothing more important than that.”
Another big part of his life will be first, fitting into a roster that has gotten the Clippers (33-28) this far, holding down fourth place in the Western Conference, then helping the team advance deep into the postseason. The work begins with Friday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena when Westbrook will make his debut.
Westbrook was back in the gym Wednesday after spending the past two weeks deciding his future after being traded from the Lakers to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team deal and then bought out and waived, making him a free agent. He said his decision to sign with the Clippers was influenced heavily by the support he received from players such as Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr.
Before the All-Star break, George and Morris campaigned for the former league MVP to join the Clippers, with George going as far as to say, “I’m a big believer in and a fan of what Russ’ work is, you know, having had one of my best seasons in my career alongside of him. I’ve seen what he can do, night in, night out and I think he’s still got a lot of game there.”
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said he took the players’ comments into consideration when deciding whether to add the mercurial point guard.
“We…
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