Russell Westbrook Announces Retirement After 18-Season NBA Career
Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons, closing the book on one of the most intense, productive, and debated careers of his generation. The 37-year-old shared the news on August 12 through a highlight video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan.
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end,” Westbrook wrote. “You had to be there. And now it’s over.” (NBA.com)
Westbrook leaves basketball as the NBA’s all-time leader in regular-season triple-doubles, with 209. He also ranks fifth in career assists and 14th in points. Across 1,301 games, he averaged 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
His résumé includes the 2017 NBA MVP Award, nine All-Star selections, nine All-NBA selections, two scoring titles, two All-Star Game MVP Awards, a 2012 Olympic gold medal, and a place on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
His defining season came in 2016–17, when he averaged a triple-double: 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists: and set the single-season record with 42 triple-doubles. He later averaged a triple-double in three additional seasons.
Drafted fourth overall in 2008, Westbrook spent his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before playing for Houston, Washington, the Los Angeles Lakers, the LA Clippers, Denver, and Sacramento. He finished his final season with the Kings, averaging 15.2 points and 6.7 assists across 64 games. (NBA.com)
Westbrook never won an NBA championship, but his relentless motor, athleticism, competitiveness, and willingness to play his own way made him impossible to ignore. His career changed how fans view the ceiling of a modern point guard.
For a broader look at today’s sports coverage, visit Brownstone Worldwide and read our coverage of Florida’s March Madness championship comeback.
What is your favorite Russell Westbrook memory; and where do you rank him among the greatest guards in NBA history?
Sources: NBA.com retirement report · NBA.com Archive 75 profile · ESPN career retrospective
