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WASHINGTON, DC – The National Basketball Association announced today that Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been named to the All-NBA Third Team. Beal is the fifth player to earn All-NBA Third Team honors and the 14th player overall to earn All-NBA accolades in franchise history.

“I am humbled and honored to be named to the All-NBA Third Team,” said Beal.  “I would not be able to achieve this honor without my coaching staff, teammates, and our great fans who gave me unbelievable support during an unprecedented season. I am excited to get back to work this summer and building on what we were able to accomplish.”

Beal finished second in the NBA in scoring with a career-high 31.3 points per game, which is the sixth-highest scoring average in the last 10 years and the second highest in franchise history.  He also posted career highs in field goal percentage (.485) and free-throw percentage (.889) during the season.  Beal finished the season with a career-high 34 games of 30+ points (which ranked third in the league) and eight games with at least 40+ points (which ranked second).  He started the season scoring 25+ points in 17 consecutive games, which marked the longest streak in the NBA in the last 50 years.  Beal scored a career and franchise-high tying 60 points at Philadelphia (1/6) and notched his fifth career game of 50+ points with 50 points in Indiana (5/8).  The nine-year pro was selected to start in the NBA All-Star game for the first time in his career and marked his third overall All-Star selection.

Beal was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of April 19-26.  During the week, he averaged 31.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, helping lead the Wizards to a 4-0 record.

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Bradley Beal named Third Team All-NBA

WASHINGTON, DC– The NBA announced today that Wizards guard Russell Westbrook has been named as a finalist for the 2020-21 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Chosen by fans and an NBA executive panel, the seasonlong award honors a player’s continued commitment to positively impact his community through sustained efforts and difference-making work over the course of the season. Highlights of Westbrook’s work in the community throughout the season can be seen here.

“Making a positive impact in the community and uplifting those in need is something that I have made a priority throughout my career,” said Westbrook.  “I’m honored to be selected as a finalist for the Seasonlong NBA Community Assist Award and look forward to finding new opportunities to inspire the lives of others, empower them to ask ‘Why Not?’ and teach them to never give up.”

Fans can vote for Westbrook via Jebbit, where they can view and select videos highlighting his impact, or on Twitter by using #NBACommunityAssist and @russwest44 or #RussellWestbrook.  Retweets are also counted and votes cast on the first and last day (June 8 and June 19) will count twice towards a player’s total.  Fan voting for the award will begin today on social media at 12:00 p.m. and conclude on Saturday, June 19, at 11:59 p.m.  The winner will be determined by a combination of fan voting and voting by an NBA executive panel and announced at a future virtual presentation.

Westbrook teamed up with LA Promise Fund and launched the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy in his hometown of Los Angeles in February. The middle and high school will create better access to educational and outdoor opportunities for children and the community at large in South L.A, while also preparing them for college and making them “active citizens committed to social change.” Westbrook’s work in Los Angeles also included the ninth-straight year of his foundation partnering with the L.A. Regional Food Bank to distribute Thanksgiving meals to residents of Los Angeles.

In his first season in D.C., Westbrook and his Why Not? Foundation hosted a special Christmas sneaker shoe giveaway for the entire student body at The Children’s Guild District of Columbia Public Charter School, which serves special education and general education students – many whom come from homeless or unstable housing. Westbrook remained committed to the previous stops in his career by assisting the city of Houston following the devastating winter storm in February and producing “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre,” a documentary on the 1921 Tulsa race massacre on Black Wall Street, an event often overlooked and untaught in American history.

Westbrook’s efforts with his Academy and documentary showcased his commitment to providing equal opportunities to higher education for future generations, while also educating the older generations on past inequities faced by Black people and other minorities. Westbrook’s efforts to improve generational wealth in minorities led him to join Varo Bank as a new investor and advisor in February, with the intent of improving income inequalities with programs driven towards minority communities and to improve financial literacy within the Black community. Westbrook also joined Evolution Advisors, LLC as a founding partner and will focus on insurance and financial services within minority and diverse business communities.

Westbrook is looking to become the third Washington player to win the seasonlong award in the last six seasons, following Bradley Beal (2018-19) and John Wall (2015-16). Westbrook won the seasonlong award for the 2014-15 season and the monthly award for the month of October 2014. Monumental Basketball teammate Natasha Cloud took home a similar honor in 2019 with the WNBA’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award.

Along with Westbrook, the other nominees for the award are DeAndre’ Bembry (Toronto), Devin Booker (Phoenix), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee), Damian Lillard (Portland), Patty Mills (San Antonio), Donovan Mitchell (Utah), Larry Nance Jr. (Cleveland) and Josh Richardson (Dallas). The 10 nominees include the offseason winner, six monthly winners and three additional players (including Westbrook) selected by the NBA for their exceptional community work.  The winning player will receive $25,000 to their charity of choice, a donation from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente.

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Russell Westbrook named finalist for Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Single-game tickets for the Wizards’ home matchups against the Philadelphia 76ers for Round One of their playoff series presented by Capital One will go on sale today at 10:00 a.m for the general public and can be accessed by visiting Ticketmaster.  Game 3 is set for Saturday, May 29, at 7:00 pm (ESPN/NBCSW) and Game 4 on Monday, May 31, at 7:00 pm (TNT/NBCSW).   Game 6, if necessary, will be played on Friday, June 4 (tipoff time and broadcast information TBD). .

As a result of the District of Columbia approving Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment’s request to increase capacity to 50%, the team will be able to welcome nearly 10,000 Wizards fans into Capital One Arena for the first round of the playoffs.  Additional seat locations have been released for Games 3 and all fans will have the opportunity to purchase a maximum of 8 tickets per game when seats go on sale at 10 a.m. All fans attending Game 3 will receive a rally towel branded with the team’s tagline “DC Above All” while fans in attendance for Game 4 will receive a t-shirt. .

While social distancing guidelines will no longer be in place for most seat locations at Capital One Arena, all fans must continue to wear a mask at all times while in the arena except for when actively eating or drinking in their designated seat locations.  All other arena protocols will remain in place, including the “no bags” policy, designated points of entry included on each ticket and enhanced cleaning measures throughout the arena.  .

Fans attending the games will experience live renditions of the National Anthem.  Virginia native Brandon Showell, who was a contestant on The Voice, will perform ahead of Game 3 and D.C.-based jazz vocalist and Army veteran Aaron Myers will sing the anthem ahead of Game 4. .

The halftime entertainment for Game 3 will also be live in-arena and will feature 15-year-old twin DJs Amira &amp; Kayla, who have been guests on The Tonight Show and The Steve Harvey Show. Future Band DC, who have perfected the art of melding the essence of Hip-Hop, Soul, and Go-go, will have a special halftime music video during Game 4. .

On May 27, NBCSW Wizards broadcasters Jason Smith &amp; Chris Miller will host a virtual Q&amp;A for select winners of the Wizards Playoff Chalk Talk Sweepstakes presented by Capital One. Smith and Miller will talk through the round one matchup so far, answer fan-submitted questions and more. .

The Team Store, located near sections 120 &amp; 121, will be open for fans attending the games as well as retail stands located at sections 100, 107, 115, Club level and 404. Wizards fans can save 40% on Wizards City Edition merchandise, excluding jerseys, through May 31st.  In addition, new playoff merchandise will be available including the ‘DC Above All’ t-shirt (image attached).  .

The Team Store at COA remains open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Fans can also visit shop.monumentalsportsnetwork.com to order Wizards gear online. All Capital One Cardholders will receive 20% off their purchase when they present and use a Capital One credit or debit card at checkout at the Capital One Arena Team Store. Visit capitalonearena.com/cardholderbenefits for additional details. The discount is only applicable at the time of sale and cannot be combined with other offers.

Wizards Playoff Central, presented by Capital One, is home to all team coverage of the NBA Play-In Tournament and the NBA Playoffs and is a one-stop source for game previews, game recaps, feature stories, videos, interviews, podcasts and more. .

The William Hill Sportsbook at Capital One Arena is now open and the official sports betting partner of the Washington Wizards.  Experience a first of its kind destination a two-story, 18,000 square-foot venue that features 17 betting windows and 12 self-service betting kiosks, the Sportsbook will allow visitors to enjoy a premium game-day experience whether attending a Wizards game or watching out-of-town games thanks to an inspired sports-bar menu and restaurant concept crafted by Michelin-Star Chef and Maryland native Nicholas Stefanelli. .

For more information on safety protocols at Capital One Arena, fans can visit www.monumentalsports.com/health-safety.

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Wizards single-game tickets on sale for Round One

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers 142-115, securing the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Game One of the series will take place in Philadelphia on Sunday, May 23, at 1:00 p.m. The game will be aired nationally on TNT and locally on NBC Sports Washington.

Due to the very limited number of tickets available (25 percent capacity, or 5,333 fans per game), priority for ticketing will be given to season ticket members, with information forthcoming on ticket availability for the general public. Fans are encouraged to visit WashingtonWizards.com. to sign up for alerts and information regarding individual game ticket access.  All previously announced health and safety protocols announced by Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment remain in place. Visit http://www.monumentalsports.com/health-safety for details.

The full schedule for the series can be seen below. Washington’s first home game in the series will be on Saturday, May 29, as the Wizards host Game Three.

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Wizards to face 76ers in first round of Eastern Conference Playoffs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NBA announced today that Wizards guard Russell Westbrook was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in the month of May.  Westbrook averaged 26.3 points, 16.1 assists and 13.8 rebounds per game, helping lead the Wizards to the eighth seed and a spot in the play-in tournament.

Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to average at least 26 points, 16 assists and 13 rebounds in a calendar month. He began the month with a season high-tying 42 points to go along with 10 rebounds and nine assists in Dallas on May 1.  During the week of May 3-8, where Westbrook was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, he became the first player in NBA history to average 22+ points, 18+ assists and 17+ rebounds over a four-game span while leading the NBA in assists and rebounds per game during the week.  In the Wizards’ home victory over the Pacers on May 3, Westbrook tallied 14 points, 24 assists and 21 rebounds, which marked the third game in NBA history of 20+ assists and 20+ rebounds.  The 24 assists tied his career-high and tied the Wizards’ franchise high.  He followed that performance with 29 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds in a one-point loss in Milwaukee.  The next night in Tampa versus the Raptors, he posted 13 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists in the team’s 131-129 overtime win over the Raptors.   Westbrook concluded the week by tying Oscar Robertson’s record of 181 triple-doubles with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists in Washington’s 133-132 overtime victory in Indiana.  Westbrook made a pair of free throws with one second left in overtime to give the Wizards a one-point lead, and then blocked Caris LeVert’s jump-shot to seal the victory.  From May 3-14, Westbrook tallied 15+ assists in seven-straight games, the longest streak of his career and in franchise history, as well as the longest in the league since John Stockton had eight straight in 1989.

On May 10 in Atlanta, Westbrook became the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader by tallying the 182nd of his career, breaking the record that stood for 47 years, one month and 16 days since Oscar Robertson’s 181st and final triple-double of his career.  He posted 28 points, 21 assists and 13 rebounds on that historic night.

Westbrook finished the regular season as the league’s leader in assists at 11.7 per game to go along with averages of 22.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.  He concluded the regular season with 36 straight double-doubles and 38 triple-doubles.

This marks Westbrook’s ninth Player of the Month honor.  He last won the award in December 2017, as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Russell Westbrook named Eastern Conference Player of the Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Russell Westbrook has become the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader by tallying the 182nd of his career tonight at Atlanta – a record that has stood for 47 years, one month and 16 days since Oscar Robertson’s 181st and final triple-double of his career.

In games where Westbrook records a triple-double, his teams are a combined 136-45 (.751), including the Wizards’ current 21-14 record, where they have won 13 of their last 16 games with a Westbrook triple-double. His 182 career triple-doubles are also more than 26-of-30 NBA franchises, with only the Lakers, Kings, Celtics and Thunder (including Westbrook’s with the franchise) having more.  Westbrook recorded 138 of his triple-doubles as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the most in their franchise history. Westbrook is also the franchise leader for Washington (36) and broke Darrell Walker’s franchise record of 15 in just 38 games with the Wizards.

Westbrook recorded his first career triple-double on March 2, 2009, during his rookie season, a 17-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist outing against the Dallas Mavericks. Through the first six years of his career, Westbrook tallied just eight triple-doubles but has since recorded 174 in the last seven years, including an NBA-record 42 during the 2016-17 season. Westbrook has four career seasons with at least 25 triple-doubles, the most in league history, and also averaged a triple-double in each of those four seasons (which are four of the five seasons in NBA history where a player averaged a triple-double).

Westbrook’s single-game triple-double accomplishments include two games with 24 assists (January 10, 2019 and May 3, 2021), tied with Rajon Rondo and Isiah Thomas for the most assists in a triple-double. On May 3 of this season, Westbrook added 14 points and 21 rebounds to his career-high-tying and franchise-record-tying 24 assists to record his second career game with at least 20 rebounds and 20 assists, the only player in league history with multiple such games. On April 2, 2019 vs. the Lakers, Westbrook scored 20 points with 20 rebounds and 21 assists, becoming the second player in NBA history to record a 20-20-20 game along with Wilt Chamberlain. Overall, Westbrook has five career triple-doubles with at least 20 assists, the most in league history. On March 29, 2017 at Orlando, Westbrook scored 57 points with 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the second-highest scoring triple-double in league history (Harden, 60). His career-long and league-record streak of 11 games with a triple-double came from January 22 to February 14, 2019, the only 10+ game streak in league history.

With 182 triple-doubles in 940 games played, Westbrook has tallied a triple-double in 19.4% of his games played, the highest rate among the top 15 triple-double leaders. Since 2016-17, Westbrook has tallied a triple-double in 145 of 353, or 41.1% of his games played. Westbrook leads the league this season with 36 triple-doubles, the second-most triple-doubles in a single season in his career and the third-most in league history.

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Russell Westbrook passes Oscar Robertson to become NBA’S all-time triple-double-leader

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NBA announced today that Wizards guard Russell Westbrook was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of May 3-9.  Westbrook averaged 22.3 points, 18.3 assists and 17.3 rebounds per game, helping lead the Wizards to a 3-1 record.

Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to average 22+ points, 18+ assists and 17+ rebounds over a four-game span.   He led the NBA in assists and rebounds per game during the week.  In the Wizards’ home victory over the Pacers on Monday, Westbrook tallied 14 points, 24 assists and 21 rebounds, which marked the third game in NBA history of 20+ assists and 20+ rebounds.  The 24 assists tied his career-high and tied the Wizards’ franchise high.  He followed that performance with 29 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds in a one-point loss in Milwaukee.  The next night in Tampa versus the Raptors, he posted 13 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists in the team’s 131-129 overtime win over the Raptors.   Westbrook concluded the week by tying Oscar Robertson’s record of 181 triple-doubles with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists in Washington’s 133-132 overtime victory in Indiana.  Westbrook made a pair of free throws with one second left in overtime to give the Wizards a one-point lead, and then blocked Caris LeVert’s jump-shot to seal the victory.

During the week, Westbrook posted a triple-double in all four games, becoming the first player in franchise history to have 15 or more assists in four straight games, and the first NBA player to accomplish this since Rajon Rondo in 2016.  He also posted his fourth streak of at least four games with at least 12 rebounds this season and fifth streak since 2019.  Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons joins Westbrook as the only other guard in the league since 2018 to have a streak of four games with at least 12 rebounds.

On the season, Westbrook is averaging 22.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and a league-leading 11.5 assists per game.  He has 35 triple-doubles on the season and is one game away from breaking Oscar Robertson all-time triple-double record.

This marks Westbrook’s 20th Player of the Week honor.  He last won the award for the week ending on April 7, 2019, as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Russell Westbrook named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

Washington, D.C. – Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain following MRI testing conducted yesterday. He will miss the team’s next two games (Monday and Wednesday at Atlanta) before being re-evaluated on Friday.  Beal sustained the injury during Saturday night’s win at Indiana.