Russell Westbrook’s NBA run is over.
The Oklahoma City Thunder icon announced Wednesday afternoon that he is retiring after 18 seasons in the league, closing the book on a career that started when the Thunder took him No. 4 overall in the 2008 draft.
Westbrook made the announcement on his social media account, writing: "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it's over,"
For Thunder fans, it’s the end of a stretch that defined a huge part of the franchise’s early identity. Westbrook spent 11 years in Bricktown, and his numbers there still jump off the page: 23 points, 7.0 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.1 stock per game, while shooting 43% from the floor, 30% from 3-point land and 80% at the charity stripe.
He leaves as the Thunder’s all-time triple-double leader and as the engine behind one of the most remarkable individual stretches in NBA history. Westbrook averaged a triple double in four NBA seasons, including three in Oklahoma City, and that run helped power his 2016-17 NBA MVP award.
His resume is stacked with honors: NBA MVP, two NBA All Star MVP honors, nine time All-Star, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine time All-NBA, the 2008-09 All-Rookie team and a spot on the NBA's 75th anniversary team honoring the greating 75 players to ever play the sport.
In Oklahoma City, his place in the franchise conversation is already secure. The only real debate for the top spot in OKC is between current superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Westbrook, whose legacy still hangs over the team to this day.
The Thunder are expected to retire his No. 0 at some point, with that jersey not worn since he left OKC, and it would put him alongside Nick Collison’s No. 4 in the Paycom Center rafters. There’s also been talk of a statue outside the new arena the franchise plans to open in 2028, which would make Westbrook the first Thunder player to get one.
Even with retirement now official, Westbrook’s ties to Oklahoma City are not going away. The article notes his investment in the city still includes the soccer stadium and other ventures, so a return to Bricktown would not be a surprise.
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