Russell Westbrook Retires After 18 NBA Seasons
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- Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on social media Wednesday at age 37 after 18 NBA seasons with seven teams, choosing to step away despite offers from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards this offseason.
- Westbrook spent 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder after being drafted No. 4 in 2008, teaming with Kevin Durant and James Harden to reach the 2012 NBA Finals, where he scored 43 points in Game 4 against the Miami Heat.
- Westbrook won the 2016-17 MVP as the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double for a full season (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists), posting an NBA-record 42 triple-doubles that year.
- Westbrook holds the NBA's all-time triple-double record with 209, surpassing Robertson's mark of 181 in 2021, and retires fifth in career assists and 14th in scoring with 27,176 points.
- Westbrook started 58 games for the Kings in his final season, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, while becoming the career leader in rebounds from the point guard position and joining LeBron James as the only two players ever with 25,000 points and 10,000 assists.
- The Kings discussed bringing Westbrook back but would have shifted him to a reduced role as the organization handed the keys to rookie point guard Darius Acuff.
Why it matters: Westbrook exits holding the NBA's all-time triple-double record (209), ranked fifth in career assists and 14th in scoring (27,176 points), and as one of just two players—alongside LeBron James—to reach 25,000 points and 10,000 assists. His agent Jeff Schwartz publicly blamed the CBA's apron rules for sidelining veterans, framing it as a systemic squeeze on older stars.
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