Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not expect Russell Westbrook to call it a career this soon. The former MVP’s retirement surprised the current face of the Oklahoma City Thunder as well, as he believed Russ still had enough left in the tank to continue his NBA career.
SGA spoke about it during Thunder training camp, offering meaningful words for the player who, long before him, was the symbol of the franchise.
It was a little surprising to see him stop this soon. I thought he still had something left to give, but everyone has their own path. He deserves all the recognition for what he did. Basketball is going to miss Russ
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
For Shai, though, talking about Westbrook means going well beyond MVPs, triple-doubles and numbers. The bond between Russ and Oklahoma City helped build part of the identity that still defines the franchise today.
He’s dynamic like very few others, both as a player and as a personality and teammate. He’s the complete package. He’s one of the foundations of what we are today. Part of the reason this city became what it is has to be credited to Russell Westbrook
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai: “Russ is Oklahoma’s child”
The passing of the torch between the two happened without them ever truly being teammates in OKC. Westbrook left the Thunder in the summer of 2019, practically at the same time Gilgeous-Alexander arrived in Oklahoma through the trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers.
From there, Shai built his own story, eventually becoming MVP and the leader of a new winning era for the Thunder. And yet, in his view, what Westbrook represents to Oklahoma City remains something that is very difficult to replicate.
Russ is basically Oklahoma’s child, so I don’t think there will ever be another one. He was the first. You feel it when you walk down the street: Russ is everywhere. He was a pioneer of what we represent today, so it’s even hard to make comparisons
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Their relationship, moreover, was never limited to simple admiration from afar. Shai explained that he got to know Westbrook because they initially shared the same agent and found in him a reference point off the court as well.
He’s genuinely an incredible person, regardless of what has been said about him over the years. If I needed anything, wanted to talk something through or just needed advice, he was always one phone call away. He’s a 10 as a person and a 10 as a player. It’s hard to find anyone better than Russ
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Westbrook spent 11 seasons with the Thunderwinning MVP in 2017 and becoming the face of the franchise even after Kevin Durant’s departure.
Shai holds that place today, but he is not trying to erase what came before him. If anything, he openly recognizes that part of what the Oklahoma City Thunder are today was built on Westbrook’s shoulders too.