On a night when the Sacramento Kings hosted the Chicago Bulls, mutual respect overrode competition. Sunday marked the reunion of Russell Westbrook and Billy Donovan since they were player and coach in Oklahoma City. After the Kings beat the Bulls the 126-110, Donovan shifted the focus from the box score to the profound human connection he shares with Russell Westbrook despite the distance caused by the NBA business.

Amid a turbulent week for the veteran guard, Donovan’s post-game reflection painted a starkly different picture of Westbrook than the “agitated” persona often seen in media clips. For Donovan, Westbrook is not defined by his statistical dominance or his intensity on the court, nor the brash public persona governed by external narratives. The real Russ is about quiet acts of loyalty that happen when the cameras are off.

“I mean, even when my father passed, he was one of the first people that reached out to me and sent me a text message,” Donovan revealed when asked about the immense respect he holds for his ex OKC star. “And I say this, I think a lot of times with these guys… people see them in between the lines and, you know, as a coach or when you’re part of a team, you get a chance to see him in a totally different light. Like, he’s a great father, great husband, got unbelievable parents, great brother.”

It was a trying time for Donovan too. His father, Bill Donovan Sr. passed away in February. The NBA coach has remained focused on the Bulls, navigating the post-All-Star stretch, while silently grieving. Russ’ message during this time probably went a long way.

Donovan, who mentored Westbrook during his legendary 2017 MVP run in Oklahoma City, emphasized that the public perception of the star often misses his most essential qualities. “I think there’s great appreciation I have for him is when you’re a coach and you walk into the locker room before, you know, 30 minutes, 35 minutes on the clock, you’re never worried about that guy. Like, he’s always going to compete and play and give everything he had.”

While Mr. Triple Double torched his Bulls team with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. Donovan speaks on his quality beyond the court saying, “I really enjoyed my time with him… I got a chance to know him on a totally different level than just a basketball player and got a chance to really know him as the person.”

Donovan noted that their bond remains a highlight of his career. It underscores the kind of perception around Russell Westbrook right now.

Confrontational label follows Russell Westbrook

A couple of days before Billy Donovan’s reflections, Russell Westbrook created a viral presser through a confrontation with reporters. On March 5, the Kings’ 133-123 loss to the Pelicans marked their 50th loss of the season. In a tense press conference, Russ was asked about it.

He instead turned the tables on the reporter. “You guys have a lot of opinions about hw we do what we’re doing. What you got? You make a lot of statements and broad statements that you have no context, so where do you get your context from? Are you in practice? Are you at our film session? Are you anywhere around the building?”

The exchange underscored a side of Westbrook of a fiercely protective leader that Donovan has long defended. From trash-talking Luka Doncic to his confrontation with reporters, Westbrook’s outburst was driven by a desire to shield his younger teammates from external noise.

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When a reporter added the criticism of the 15-50 team then was fair, he fired back that the backlash was not limited to basketball. He went as far as calling the commentary as “False comments.” One of the reporters he argued with would later say “at this point in the season, there is absolutely no value,” to Russell’s leadership or leading the team in scoring and minutes.

While his critics have viewed these interactions as hostile, they are essentially the same “competitive fire” that Donovan grew to rely on during their time together. For Donovan, those moments of respect are what truly matter after an 82-game schedule is over.