Westbrook, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, holds the record for the most career triple-doubles in league history.
Published On ۱۳ Aug ۲۰۲۶
Triple-double king and former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook announced his retirement after ۱۸ seasons on Wednesday via social media.
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over,” Westbrook wrote on his social media post.
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Westbrook’s decision was announced during a three-and-a-half-minute video. He didn’t respond to any of the questions by the narrator, but the theme made it clear Westbrook was leaving on his own terms.
At the end of the video, the screen read: “The greatest thing he left behind couldn’t fit inside a museum. It never had to be said.”
Westbrook, ۳۷, recorded ۲۰۹ triple-doubles, including a record ۴۲ during his stellar ۲۰۱۶-۱۷ Most Valuable Player (MVP) season. He averaged a career-high ۳۱.۶ points to go with ۱۰.۷ rebounds and ۱۰.۴ assists that season to become the first player since the legendary Oscar Robertson (۱۹۶۱-۶۲) to average a triple-double over a full season.
A nine-time All-Star, he ranks fifth all-time in career assists (۱۰,۳۵۱) and ۱۴th in scoring (۲۷,۱۷۶). Westbrook led the NBA in assists three times and scoring twice.
In ۲۰۲۱, Westbrook was named to the NBA’s ۷۵th Anniversary Team. He was named All-Star Game MVP in consecutive seasons (۲۰۱۵, ۲۰۱۶) and won a gold medal with the United States in the ۲۰۱۲ Olympics in London.
He averaged ۲۰.۹ points, ۸.۰ assists and ۶.۹ rebounds in ۱,۳۰۱ regular-season games with seven franchises.
In ۱۳۵ career playoff games, Westbrook averaged ۲۲.۵ points, ۷.۱ assists and ۶.۷ rebounds.
Oklahoma City and Westbrook’s run to the NBA Finals
Westbrook was selected fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the ۲۰۰۸ NBA Draft, and the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City before his rookie season.
Westbrook spent ۱۱ seasons with the franchise and teamed with Kevin Durant to make the Thunder one of the top teams in the NBA. Oklahoma City reached the NBA Finals in ۲۰۱۲, when James Harden was also on the team, before losing to the Miami Heat.
Westbrook made eight of his All-Star appearances with the Thunder. His other was when he averaged ۲۷.۲ points for the Houston Rockets in ۲۰۱۹-۲۰, his lone season with the team.
“Russell Westbrook is the ultimate competitor,” Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. “His internal belief and unbridled fearlessness helped establish the foundation of our organization from day one in ۲۰۰۸ and he elevated the confidence and inspired our community in every year thereafter.
“Russell will be as successful in his life after basketball as he was during his career because his qualities and gifts transfer. His impact on our community is still felt today, and he is beloved for his devotion as much as his talent.
“He built a Hall of Fame career not by making statements or simply by breaking records, he did it by showing us all the power of asking one simple question: Why Not?”
Westbrook bounced around to five teams over his last six seasons. He averaged ۱۵.۲ points and ۶.۷ rebounds in ۶۴ games (with ۵۸ starts) for the Sacramento Kings last season.
Westbrook was a college star at UCLA before leaving for the NBA after two seasons. He was the Pac-۱۲ Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.
