Thunder’s Westbrook signs $205m deal
Wade excited to be reunited with James
OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept 30, (Agencies): Reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook hit the jackpot for the second time in less than 18 months by signing a five-year, $205 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The deal begins with the 2018-19 season, and puts the 28-year-old Westbrook under contract with the Thunder through the 2022-23 NBA season.
Westbrook posted a picture of himself on his Instagram page, wearing an orange “OKC” jersey with his arms raised and wrote: “Why Not??” Why Not??
The 28-year-old Westbrook is coming off a historic season in which he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists and set an NBA record with 42 triple-doubles.
He broke the mark of Oscar Robertson (1962) and joined the Hall of Famer as the only players to average a triple-double over an entire season.
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The six-time all-star won his second scoring crown and scored 40 or more points on 18 occasions.
Cleveland introduced Dwyane Wade on Friday, and he says he can’t wait to be reunited with LeBron James because, like ham and eggs and peaches and cream, the duo are a matching pair.
“We’re just ... it’s like peanut butter and jelly, man,” Wade said of his warm friendship with James. “We just go together.”
The 35-year-old Wade went to four NBA finals and won two championships in four years together with the Miami Heat before James left to join his hometown Cavaliers.
“Every time we walk by each other in the locker room and everywhere, we just look at each other and shake our head because it just don’t seem real,” Wade told reporters on Friday.
“It’s like, ‘How did this happen? How did we get here?’ We just start laughing every time we walk by each other.”
Wade has reached a buyout agreement this week with the Chicago Bulls, reportedly leaving $8 million on the table before signing with the Cavaliers for the veteran’s minimum of $2.3 million.
LeBron James missed his second straight practice with a sprained left ankle, an injury that happened on Dwyane Wade’s first day with the Cavaliers.
James was at the team’s Cleveland Clinic Courts facility getting treatment Friday, and could be seen in the training and fitness area. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said the superstar is day to day, but the team has not said much else about James’ injury.