Russell Westbrook, a prominent figure in NBA history, has announced his retirement after 18 seasons. Known as the NBA’s career leader in triple-doubles and the 2017 MVP, Westbrook was also a member of the league’s 75th anniversary team. The announcement came on Wednesday, through a social media post featuring a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan, in which Westbrook did not speak a word. Westbrook’s message accompanied the video: “Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.”
Westbrook began his NBA journey as the No. 4 pick in the 2008 draft, selected by the Seattle SuperSonics shortly before their relocation to Oklahoma City. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and his most recent season with the Sacramento Kings. A two-time scoring champion, Westbrook also led the league in assists three times and was a two-time MVP of the All-Star Game. Additionally, he won an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 London Games.
Westbrook concludes his career with 209 triple-doubles, with his last recorded on March 15. His closest competitor, Nikola Jokic, has 198 triple-doubles as the new season begins. Westbrook also set the record for most triple-doubles in a single season, achieving 42 during his 2016-17 MVP-winning season. In the span from the 2015-16 season to recent years, Westbrook consistently averaged double figures in points and assists for five of those six seasons.
Throughout his career, Westbrook also played for several other teams, including Houston, Washington, the Lakers, and the Clippers. Last season, he played for Sacramento, starting in 58 of the 64 games. He averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game during that time.
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