Ty Lue: 'I Love' Russell Westbrook; He 'Saved' Clippers After Kawhi, George Injuries

The Los Angeles Clippers are Russell Westbrook's fifth NBA team since the start of the 2018-19 season, but he may have found kinship with coach Ty Lue.

"I love Russ. From Day 1," Lue said on All the Smoke (2:40 mark). "When you get a guy like that, that plays hard every single night and gives you everything every single night—and he plays every night. And he plays the same way.

"Teams that acquire him, you know what you're getting. He's a tough dude, tough-minded. What he did for our season, him and [Mason] Plumlee and Bones [Hyland], Eric Gordon, what Russ and those guys did for the last 20 games of the season, he saved us. [Paul George] goes down, and [Westbrook] went to another level. I love him."

Westbrook joined the Clippers in February after reaching a buyout agreement with the Utah Jazz. He spent the previous season-and-a-half with the Lakers before being traded to Utah at the deadline as part of a three-team deal that sent D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to the Lakers.

Returning to a starting role with the Clippers after coming off the bench for the Lakers, Westbrook looked rejuvenated. He averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.

The 2017 NBA MVP also battled hard during the Clippers' first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns, taking over a starring role in the offense as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard dealt with injuries.

Westbrook re-signed with Clippers on a two-year, $7.9 million contract that carries a player option for the 2024-25 season. He's expected to open camp as the Clippers' starting point guard, though the ongoing rumors of a James Harden arrival could make things a little awkward.