Westbrook not planning to retire at end of season

If Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook has it his way, his 18th NBA season will not be his last.

"No ... yeah right," Westbrook responded when a reporter asked if he was planning to retire at the end of the campaign, per ESPN 1320's James Ham.

Westbrook inked a one-year, veteran's minimum deal with the Kings in mid-October after declining his player option with the Denver Nuggets on June 13.

The former MVP enters the season with his fourth team in four years following short spells with the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, and Nuggets.

"It's something that I'll never, ever take for granted," Westbrook added. "And I'm grateful to be able to do that again."

Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 75 games for the Nuggets last season, with 36 of those appearances coming as a starter.

The 36-year-old joins a Kings team with an experienced core that includes Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and fellow veteran point guard Dennis Schroder, who was shipped to Sacramento in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons.

"It's really been like this my whole career," Westbrook said when asked if he had any extra motivation considering how the summer played out. He added, "I'm blessed for the doubt, the indecision, the 'if I can and will play.' I know what I'm capable of when given the opportunity. ...

"And yes, the chip has always been on my shoulder, and it won't go nowhere until I'm done playing."