After 18 NBA seasons, Russell Westbrook has decided to call it a career. At 37, one of the most iconic and electrifying players of his generation has announced his retirement through a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordanbringing an end to a career defined by records, triple-doubles and moments that left an indelible mark on NBA history.
Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.
Russell Westbrook
Eighteen NBA seasons were enough to build a truly legendary career. Russell Westbrook leaves the game with an MVPnine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star appearances, three assist titles and two scoring titles, while ranking in the Top 5 all-time in assists and the Top 15 in points and steals.
A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary TeamWestbrook above all redefined what a triple-double could mean: he is the NBA’s all-time leader with 209holds the single-season record with 42and owns the record for consecutive games with a triple-double at 11. He is also the only player ever to average a triple-double in four different seasons.
His career ends with 27,176 points, 9,025 rebounds and 10,351 assists. Westbrook and LeBron James are the only two players in NBA history to surpass 25,000 points and 10,000 assists simultaneously.
Numbers that only partially capture the impact of one of the most unique players in NBA history and a future Hall of Famer.