The Sacramento Kings went into Saturday’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks down three starters, but luckily, they have some key players able to step up in their absences.
37-year-old veteran Russell Westbrook was a key offseason addition for the Kings, as the nine-time NBA All-Star has been a surprising difference-maker after nearly being out of the league altogether. On Saturday, Westbrook not only made a huge difference for the Kings, but he also made history.
Westbrook passes Magic on all-time assist leaderboard
Just three minutes into the first quarter, Westbrook recorded his second assist of the game. This marked Westbrook’s 10,142nd career assist, which put him ahead of Los Angeles Lakers legend and Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson for the seventh-most in league history.
From the Kings:
With his second assist at the 9:15 mark of Q1 today vs. DAL, Russell Westbrook has passed Magic Johnson (10,141) for seventh on the NBA’s all-time assist leaders list.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) December 27, 2025
Westbrook is undoubtedly one of the best passers the league has ever seen, and while he has over 300 more games than Johnson, this achievement is a testament to his greatness.
The Kings guard is also on pace to pass Mark Jackson and Steve Nash on the all-time assist list this season, which would put him in fifth place.
Westbrook reaches 2k steals
Westbrook also recorded a steal on Saturday afternoon to become the 14th player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career steals.
From Kings:
With his steal at the 5:09 mark of Q3 today vs. DAL, Russell Westbrook has reached 2,000 career steals.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) December 27, 2025
This is another legendary achievement by Westbrook, as he has become the seventh point guard in league history to reach this mark. Westbrook is one of just two players to be top 20 in steals, top 10 in points, and top 10 in assists, joining the legendary LeBron James. As one of the most underrated stars the league has ever seen, Westbrook continues to make history and cement himself as one of the greatest.
Heading into Saturday’s game, Westbrook was averaging 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on the season, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.0% from three-point range. The Kings were the only team willing to give Westbrook a chance in free agency in the offseason, and now the future Hall of Famer is making a huge impact, even if it is not translating to winning basketball every night.
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