Russell Westbrook explains jersey number change with Nuggets, says he never asked Christian Braun for No. 0

Russell Westbrook will not wear the No. 0 jersey for the Denver Nuggets next season. After joining the Nuggets In free agency, after the Clippers traded him to the Jazz and then bought out his contract to sign elsewhere, there were questions about what jersey he would wear, as the number 0 is already taken by Christian Brown in Denver.

Well, we finally have our answer, as Westbrook is going to wear the No. 4 jersey. Hunter Tyson has agreed to switch to No. 5, so that the former MVP can get the No. 4. This will be the second time in Westbrook’s professional career that he wears the No. 4 jersey, having previously worn it in his only season with the Washington Wizards.

Westbrook commented on the number change on Instagram, and he dismissed reports that Bron had denied his request to wear No. 0.

“Please leave our young star alone,” Westbrook wrote. “CB and I never discussed him wearing No. 0 moving forward. I wanted to inquire about or request a No. 0 as I chose to mark this new change with a ‘new’ number.”

See the full post from Westbrook’s Instagram Story here:

In 2020, when Westbrook was traded to the Wizards, he explained his decision to switch to the No. 4 jersey, and no, it wasn’t because he was trying to be respectful to Gilbert Arenas who popularized the No. 0 jersey in DC.

“Obviously I could have stayed at zero if I wanted to, but I decided I wouldn’t do that.” [pick four]”This is the first time in my career that I can go back to my original number. When I got to Oklahoma, even at UCLA, I got there, Arron Afflalo had it at UCLA. Then I got to Oklahoma City, Nick Collison had it. Then when I got to Houston, Danuel House had it. So I never had an opportunity to go back to my original number. Four is my favorite number. It reminds me and it makes me realize my roots and where I started and where I got it from,” Westbrook said.

Westbrook wore No. 4 in high school, so there’s an obvious connection as to why he chose it this time around.

Bron played a key role in Denver’s championship in 2023, and the number 0 was the jersey number Bron wore in high school.

Luckily for Westbrook, he was able to convince Tyson to switch to a new number. Tyson was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft and has played just 18 games for the Nuggets, averaging less than three minutes.