Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA
American basketball player Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons. The former league MVP announced his decision on social media, according to Al Jazeera English.
The 37-year-old Westbrook posted a three-and-a-half-minute video. In the post, he noted that sometimes people don’t realize they’ve already seen the end, and that now it’s all over.
Westbrook holds the NBA record for the most career triple-doubles—209. During the 2016–17 season, when he won the MVP award, he recorded a record 42 triple-doubles. At that time, he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. He became the first player since Oscar Robertson in the 1961–62 season to finish an entire season averaging a triple-double.
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The nine-time All-Star ranks fifth in NBA history in assists—10,351—and 14th in points scored—27,176. He led the league in assists three times and in scoring twice. In 2021, Westbrook was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
In the NBA regular season, he played 1,301 games for seven teams, averaging 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds. In the playoffs, he played 135 games, averaging 22.5 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
In the 2008 NBA Draft, Westbrook was selected fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics, which relocated to Oklahoma City before his rookie season. He played 11 seasons for the franchise. In 2012, the Oklahoma City Thunder—which also featured Kevin Durant and James Harden—reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Miami Heat. Last season, Westbrook played for the Sacramento Kings: in 64 games, 58 of which he started, he averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds.
