Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement from the NBA, bringing an end to an 18-season career in which he established himself as one of the league’s most prolific all-around players.
Westbrook revealed his decision through a video posted on social media, with actor Michael B. Jordan providing the narration. The announcement closes a career highlighted by an NBA Most Valuable Player award, nine All-Star selections and a triple-double record that placed Westbrook in the league’s history books.
The guard retires as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. He also finishes fifth on the league’s career assists list and 14th in total points, underlining the combination of scoring and playmaking that defined his career.
Westbrook’s most celebrated individual season came in 2016-17, when he was named the Kia NBA MVP. During that campaign, he became the first player in more than five decades to average a triple-double across an entire season. Oscar Robertson had previously achieved the feat in 1961-62.
Rather than making it a one-season accomplishment, Westbrook went on to average a triple-double three more times. He repeated the achievement in 2017-18 and 2018-19 before doing it again during the 2020-21 campaign, giving him four such seasons during his career.
His NBA journey began when he was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Over the next 18 seasons, Westbrook represented seven different franchises and played a total of 1,301 regular-season games.
He ends his career with averages of 20.9 points, 8.0 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Those numbers reflect the versatility that became Westbrook’s trademark. His ability to contribute as a scorer, creator and rebounder allowed him to consistently fill multiple roles and produce statistical performances rarely seen from a guard.
After nearly two decades in the league, Westbrook departs with his name prominent across several major NBA record lists. His triple-double mark, four seasons averaging a triple-double and 2016-17 MVP award stand among the defining achievements of a career that began as the fourth pick in the draft and ends after more than 1,300 NBA games.
