Now throw that context into the career of a 17-year veteran like the Denver Nuggets' Russell Westbrook. The explosive, still useful, and still volatile guard is a no-doubt future Basketball Hall of Famer. However, he has yet to win an NBA championship at 36 years old, and you have to imagine that's quite frustrating in itself.

It was admirable that the Denver Nuggets, a team with such a shallow roster, were able to push the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder to a seventh game in their Western Conference semifinal clash. But with Aaron Gordon dealing with a hamstring strain that would keep him out for an extended period under regular circumstances,

The Thunder fell behind early by as many as 11 points, but they outscored Denver 39-20 in the second quarter, and that was as far as the outcome of this game (and the series) was in doubt. After they put the finishing touches on a 125-93 victory, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared a moment with Denver guard Russell Westbrook.