Westbrook retires from NBA after 18 seasons
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on social media Wednesday after 18 NBA seasons with seven teams, with a career video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan
- Westbrook had offers this offseason from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards but chose to retire on his own terms, according to ESPN's Shams Charania
- The Oklahoma City Thunder saw Westbrook spend 11 seasons there, reaching the 2012 NBA Finals alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden, where he scored 43 points in Game 4 at age 23
- In 2016-17, Westbrook became 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), winning MVP and posting an NBA-record 42 triple-doubles
- Westbrook holds the NBA all-time record with 209 career triple-doubles, surpassing Oscar Robertson's mark of 181 that had stood since 1974
- In his final season with the Kings, Westbrook started 58 games averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, becoming the all-time leader in rebounds from the point guard position
- The Sacramento Kings discussed bringing Westbrook back but only in a reduced role as the organization turned direction over to rookie point guard Darius Acuff
- Jeff Schwartz, Westbrook's agent and Excel Sports Management founder, criticized CBA rules limiting veteran pay: 'the Lakers sell for $12 billion, yet teams won't spend on older vets because of current CBA rules'
Why it matters: Westbrook retires fifth all-time in assists and 14th in scoring (27,176 points) with 209 career triple-doubles — Hall of Fame numbers — yet his agent publicly framed his exit as a casualty of post-CBA economics. The irony cuts both ways: he had offers on the table from the Kings and Wizards, but the league's new apron rules make a meaningful veteran role increasingly hard to monetize.
Ask SkimNews
