Russell Westbrook’s retirement announcement has already set off the next obvious question in Oklahoma City: when does No. 0 go to the rafters?
Jalen Williams made his preference clear on social media, floating the idea that the Thunder should do it on opening night. Oklahoma City is set to host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, Oct. 22, in a game that will air nationally on ESPN.
Williams posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday: "dare I say opening night…"
The Thunder forward’s point was pretty simple. Westbrook’s place in franchise history is already secure, and Williams has never been shy about showing love for one of the players he grew up watching. The 25-year-old saw Westbrook at the height of his powers during his high school years, and that connection has shown up in recent days through tribute posts and clips Williams has shared since the retirement news broke.
Westbrook’s résumé in Oklahoma City is the kind that still carries weight years later. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Thunder, which accounted for the bulk of his 18-year career, and became one of the defining stars of the 2010s while wearing OKC blue. He won an MVP, made nine All-Star teams and earned nine All-NBA selections, with most of those honors coming in Thunder colors.
His time alongside Kevin Durant helped turn Oklahoma City into one of the league’s elite teams of that era. Together, they reached one NBA Finals and made four Western Conference Finals in six of their eight seasons as teammates.
Westbrook also changed the way the league talks about triple-doubles. For decades, it was a rare line item.
Then he turned it into something expected, even routine. He ended the 55-year drought since Oscar Robertson as the only player to average a triple-double for a full regular season, doing it during his 2016-17 MVP season.
He also produced four triple-double seasons in a five-year stretch.
Even with the later years of his career less stable, Westbrook is still widely seen as one of the three greatest players in Thunder history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have passed him in some eyes, but Westbrook remains the first true NBA superstar Oklahoma City embraced as its own.
The idea that the Thunder will retire his No. 0 feels like a matter of when, not if. Nobody has worn that number for OKC since he was traded in 2019, and the franchise has already shown it’s willing to move quickly on these honors. Nick Collison had his No. 4 retired the season after he retired.
So Williams’ push for an immediate celebration fits the mood around the franchise. Westbrook’s legacy is already stamped on Oklahoma City, and the current generation clearly knows it.
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Thunder Fans Have Every Reason To Question This NBA Snub
The Thunder have earned more than enough national attention to expect a place on the leagues biggest calendar dates, so their absence from both Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents' Day stands out. Oklahoma City still landed marquee spots on opening night and Christmas Day, a sign the NBA views the champs as must-see television, but the omission from two other high-profile regular season showcases is the kind of scheduling wrinkle fans notice right away.
There is at least some built-in intrigue in the season opener, which sends Oklahoma City against the Spurs, the team that knocked it out in the previous postseason and beat it in the season series last year. Cason Wallace has already pointed to San Antonios edge as something the Thunder have not forgotten, which helps explain why this early meeting carries a little more edge than a normal opener, even if the schedule did not give Oklahoma City every spotlight it might have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durants Westbrook Message Hit Thunder Fans Right In The Past
Kevin Durants message on X after Russell Westbrook announced his retirement landed with the kind of weight only Thunder fans could really feel. Durant praised Westbrooks 18-year career, looking back on their time together in Oklahoma City and the stretch when the two of them helped define a franchise that spent years at the center of the NBA conversation.
For Thunder fans, it was a reminder of how much history was packed into that partnership, from Westbrooks relentless work ethic to the emotional edge that made every night feel bigger. Durants post ended as a straightforward congratulations, but the reflection around it brought back a familiar mix of admiration, nostalgia and what might have been for a fan base that lived through all of it. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durants Westbrook Message Hits Right At Thunder Fans History
Russell Westbrooks retirement announcement brought an immediate wave of reflection, and Kevin Durants response landed exactly where Thunder fans still keep some of their biggest memories. Durant looked back on their eight seasons together in Oklahoma City with a message that leaned more sentimental than nostalgic, honoring the grind they shared, the standards they set and the role both stars played in shaping the franchises identity.
For Thunder fans, it was a reminder of how much of the teams modern history is tied to that pairing, from the deep playoff runs to the sense that Oklahoma City had something bigger brewing every spring. Durants post didnt just acknowledge Westbrooks career, it also reopened an old chapter of Thunder lore that still carries weight because of what those years meant to the organization and its supporters. [Read more 🡒]