Long before the twists and turns and brushes with basketball mortality, before this journey pitted Russell Westbrook against his home, this Los Angeles story began with a few simple words.

One key Denver Nuggets veteran made a massive Russell Westbrook statement regarding the club's head coaching change.

After winning an overtime thriller to take down the LA Clippers in Game 1, the Denver Nuggets attempted to repeat their success but could not get the job done. On Monday night, the Nuggets lost 105-102 to the Clippers at home,