Russell Westbrook’s NBA profession is over after 18 seasons. The 37-year-old guard introduced his retirement Wednesday, closing a profession that started because the No. 4 decide within the 2008 NBA Draft and ended with him holding the league’s all-time triple-double document.
Westbrook retires with 27,176 factors, 10,351 assists, and 9,025 rebounds throughout 1,301 regular-season video games. He averaged 20.9 factors, 8.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds for his profession. His 209 triple-doubles are probably the most in NBA historical past. He and LeBron James are the one gamers to achieve 25,000 factors and 10,000 assists.
Westbrook received the 2017 NBA MVP and made 9 All-Star groups. He was chosen to 9 All-NBA groups, received two scoring titles, and led the league in assists 3 times. He additionally received an Olympic gold medal with Group USA in 2012 and was chosen to the NBA’s seventy fifth Anniversary Group.
He spent his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder earlier than enjoying for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings. The Utah Jazz acquired him in February 2023 and acquired him out earlier than he appeared in a recreation. His solely journey to the NBA Finals got here with Oklahoma Metropolis in 2012.
Sacramento was Westbrook’s closing cease. He performed 64 video games final season, beginning 58, and averaged 15.2 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.3 steals. A toe harm stored him out of the ultimate 11 video games. Westbrook recorded six triple-doubles in the course of the season. He additionally turned the primary guard to achieve 9,000 profession rebounds and handed Steve Nash and Mark Jackson for fifth place on the NBA’s profession assists checklist.
Listed below are 5 video games and stretches that stood out throughout his 18 NBA seasons.
Generally you don’t even know whenever you’ve already watched the top.
You needed to be there. And now it’s over. pic.twitter.com/6YoOW8WyIV
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) August 12, 2026
1. April 9, 2017: 42 Triple-Doubles and a Buzzer-Beater in Denver
Westbrook arrived in Denver on April 9, 2017, with 41 triple-doubles, tied with Oscar Robertson’s 1961-62 single-season document. Oklahoma Metropolis had three video games left within the common season. Westbrook had reached 40 triple-doubles eight days earlier towards Charlotte and tied Robertson’s document towards Milwaukee on April 4.
The document got here with 4:17 remaining towards Denver when Westbrook discovered Semaj Christon for a jumper. It gave Westbrook his tenth help and his forty second triple-double of the season. Oklahoma Metropolis nonetheless trailed, and Westbrook took over the remainder of the sport. He scored the Thunder’s closing 15 factors.
Denver led 105-103 with 2.9 seconds remaining when Steven Adams inbounded the ball to Westbrook. He caught it a number of ft behind the 3-point line, took one dribble, and made a 36-footer on the buzzer. Oklahoma Metropolis received 106-105, and the loss eradicated Denver from playoff competition.
Westbrook completed with 50 factors, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was his third 50-point triple-double of the season.
He completed the common season averaging 31.6 factors, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists in 81 video games. Robertson had been the final participant to common a triple-double for a season, doing so in 1961-62. Oklahoma Metropolis completed 47-35 and earned the sixth seed within the Western Convention in its first season after Kevin Durant left for Golden State.
Westbrook received the MVP that June over James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. He averaged one other triple-double in 2017-18 and did it once more in 2018-19. His fourth got here with Washington in 2020-21.
2. Could 10, 2021: Passing Oscar Robertson
Washington acquired Westbrook from Houston for John Wall and a protected first-round decide in December 2020. He entered Could 10, 2021, with 181 profession triple-doubles, tied with Robertson for the NBA document. Robertson had held the document since ending his profession in 1974.
Westbrook broke it towards the Atlanta Hawks. His tenth rebound got here with 8:29 remaining within the fourth quarter, giving him profession triple-double No. 182. He completed the evening with 28 factors, 13 rebounds, and 21 assists.
Washington misplaced 125-124. Westbrook had an opportunity to win it after receiving the ball with the Wizards down one within the closing seconds, however his 3-pointer with two seconds remaining missed. Bradley Beal didn’t play due to a strained left hamstring.
It was Westbrook’s thirty sixth triple-double in 61 video games that season. He completed his lone 12 months in Washington averaging 22.2 factors, 11.5 rebounds, and 11.7 assists, with 38 triple-doubles in 65 appearances. The Wizards went 34-38, superior by the play-in event, and misplaced to the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 video games within the first spherical.
Westbrook added 25 extra triple-doubles after leaving Washington. His profession whole ultimately reached 209.
3. June 2012: Westbrook’s Solely NBA Finals
Westbrook was 23 when Oklahoma Metropolis reached the NBA Finals in his fourth season. Kevin Durant was 23, James Harden was 22, and Serge Ibaka was 22. The Thunder beat the defending champion Dallas Mavericks within the first spherical, eradicated the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 video games, and got here again from a 2-0 deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 4 straight instances within the Western Convention finals.
Oklahoma Metropolis opened the Finals at house towards Miami and received Recreation 1, 105-94. Durant scored 36 factors. Westbrook added 27 factors, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists in 42 minutes.
Miami received Video games 2 and three earlier than Westbrook had the highest-scoring playoff recreation of his profession (on the time) in Recreation 4 on June 19. He shot 20-of-32 and completed with 43 factors, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 45 minutes. Oklahoma Metropolis led by 17 factors within the first quarter, however Miami received 104-98.
The Warmth closed the collection with a 121-106 win two nights later. Westbrook averaged 27.0 factors, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists within the 5 video games.
Oklahoma Metropolis returned to the Western Convention finals in 2014, shedding to San Antonio in six video games. Two years later, the Thunder led Golden State 3-1 within the convention finals earlier than shedding Video games 5, 6, and seven. Durant signed with the Warriors that offseason. Westbrook didn’t return to the NBA Finals in the course of the remaining 10 seasons of his profession.
4. April 24, 2013: The Knee Harm That Ended an Ironman Streak
Westbrook didn’t miss a regular-season recreation over his first 5 years within the NBA. He performed all 82 video games in every of his first three seasons, all 66 in the course of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, and all 82 once more in 2012-13. He had additionally appeared in all 45 of Oklahoma Metropolis’s playoff video games coming into the 2013 postseason.
The streak ended throughout Recreation 2 of Oklahoma Metropolis’s first-round collection towards Houston on April 24, 2013. Westbrook was transferring towards the sideline to name a timeout when Rockets guard Patrick Beverley went for the ball. Their knees collided.
Westbrook stayed within the recreation and performed 37 minutes. He completed with 29 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals as Oklahoma Metropolis received 105-102 to take a 2-0 collection lead.
Two days later, the Thunder introduced Westbrook had torn the lateral meniscus in his proper knee. He underwent surgical procedure on April 27. On the time of the harm, he had performed 394 consecutive regular-season video games and all 45 playoff video games of his NBA profession.
Oklahoma Metropolis completed off Houston in six video games. Memphis beat the Thunder 4-1 within the second spherical.
Westbrook underwent one other process on the knee in October 2013. He returned to play 25 video games earlier than having one other operation in December, which stored him out for 27 video games. He got here again in February and performed 46 regular-season video games that 12 months earlier than serving to Oklahoma Metropolis attain the Western Convention finals.
Over the following 5 seasons, Westbrook made 5 All-Star groups, received two scoring titles, led the NBA in assists twice, and received the 2017 MVP.
5. 2015 and 2016: Again-to-Again All-Star MVPs
Westbrook got here off the bench for the Western Convention on the 2015 All-Star Recreation at Madison Sq. Backyard. He scored 27 factors within the first half and completed with 41 on 16-of-28 capturing in about 25 minutes because the West beat the East 163-158.
On the time, solely Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan had scored at the least 40 factors in an All-Star Recreation. Chamberlain’s 42 factors in 1962 have been nonetheless the document, leaving Westbrook one level quick. Westbrook additionally made 5 3-pointers and grabbed 5 rebounds on his strategy to his first All-Star Recreation MVP.
He returned a 12 months later in Toronto and received the award once more. Westbrook scored 31 factors with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals in 22 minutes because the West received 196-173.
Bob Pettit was the one earlier participant to obtain the award in consecutive seasons. Pettit received it outright in 1958 and shared the 1959 award with Elgin Baylor.
Westbrook was 27 when he received the second. In the course of the 2016-17 season that adopted, he averaged 31.6 factors, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, set the single-season triple-double document, received his second scoring title, and was named league MVP.
The Data Russell Westbrook Leaves Behind
Westbrook retires with 209 triple-doubles within the common season, 28 greater than Robertson’s 181. He additionally owns the single-season document with 42 in 2016-17. From Jan. 22 by Feb. 14, 2019, Westbrook recorded a triple-double in 11 consecutive video games.
He averaged a triple-double 4 instances. Three got here in consecutive seasons from 2016-17 by 2018-19, and the fourth got here with Washington in 2020-21. Robertson had been the one participant to common one over a full season earlier than Westbrook did it in 2017.
Westbrook’s 10,351 assists rank fifth in NBA historical past. He completed with 9,025 rebounds and have become the primary guard to achieve 9,000. His 27,176 profession factors put him over 25,000, making him and LeBron James the one gamers in NBA historical past with at the least 25,000 factors and 10,000 assists.
He performed 1,301 regular-season video games and one other 122 within the playoffs. Westbrook’s résumé consists of the 2017 MVP, 9 All-Star choices, 9 All-NBA choices, two scoring titles, three help titles, two All-Star Recreation MVP awards, and an Olympic gold medal.
His final 64 video games got here with Sacramento. Westbrook averaged 15.2 factors, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in his 18th NBA season earlier than retiring at 37.
