After Russell Westbrook's surprising decision to call it a career, reports surfaced that the Kings were one of two teams with offers on the table to the former NBA MVP
Amidst a rather quiet offseason from the Sacramento Kings, the team did part with two veteran contributors, coming to a buyout agreement with DeMar DeRozan and awaiting a decision from Russell Westbrook.
On Wednesday, Westbrook made his decision, calling it a career after 18 NBA seasons.
Reports had begun surfacing about the Kings potentially reuniting with Westbrook this late in the free agency window, but the former league MVP decided to go out on his own terms.
ESPN senior insider Shams Charania confirmed that Sacramento had offered Westbrook, along with the Washington Wizards, but the future Hall of Famer decided to call it a career.
"Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end," Westbrook wrote on his announcement. "You had to be there. And now it's over."
From 2008-2016, Westbrook was Kevin Durant's right-hand man with the Oklahoma City Thunder, helping lead the franchise to an NBA Finals appearance in 2012 before losing to the Miami Heat.
The Thunder, of course, decided to move on from James Harden, and subsequently lost Durant years later, but Westbrook remained, taking his game to another level as the bonafide No. 1 option.
In the season following Durant's shocking move to Golden State, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, averaging a regular season triple-double for the first time since Oscar Robertson in 1962 and earning MVP honors.
Westbrook recorded 42 triple-doubles during the season - an NBA record which still stands today.
He retires as the triple-double king, having hit the mark 209 times in his illustrious career.
Years after hoisting the MVP trophy, Westbrook was dealt to the Houston Rockets, where he formed a deadly backcourt duo with Harden, but ultimately began the downswing of his career.
Westbrook remained productive, but bounced around the league, spending time with the Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and the Kings.
With Sacramento, Westbrook averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game on 33.8-percent shooting from 3-point range in 64 games, stepping up in an injury riddled backcourt.
Throughout the season, Westbrook served as the team's vocal leader, showing the Kings' young players how to be a professional and providing a fire and energy to a struggling team.
Perhaps Westbrook's most-iconic moment as a King came in early March, when he engaged in a back-and-forth with multiple members of media following a loss.
After being asked about what can still be accomplished at this point in Sacramento's season, Westbrook responded, "You know, go out, compete. This the game, you're a professional. You go out and play and that's all you can do."
A short pause filled the room before Westbrook asked, "What y'all think, though? Y'all got a lot of answers and always be talking."
Westbrook essentially answered the question for the reporter, saying "I haven't seen you at practice." He then asked, "Do you know me?"
"No, you don't know me," Westbrook said, answering his own rhetorical question. "But you make a lot of comments as though you do know me.
"You don't know anything about me."
This type of passion and intensity was evident every time Westbrook touched the court.
While it would have been beneficial to bring in a player with Westbrook's leadership skills and experience to mentor Darius Acuff Jr., the legendary point guard went out on his own terms - something that some players don't get the luxury of doing.
