The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to give Russell Westbrook the franchise honor that always felt inevitable: No. 0 is going into the rafters.
The team announced that Westbrook’s jersey will be retired at Paycom Center this season, and the date is locked in for February 7, when Oklahoma City hosts the defending champion New York Knicks. After Thunder GM Sam Presti’s emotional response to Westbrook’s retirement announcement, the expectation around a ceremony was already there. Now it’s official.
Westbrook spent 11 seasons in Oklahoma City and leaves behind a statistical footprint that still towers over the franchise record book. He is the Thunder’s all-time leader in points with 18,857. He also ranks second in assists with 6,897, while sitting third in rebounds with 5,760 and steals with 1,442.
Presti addressed the moment in a statement released after the announcement.
“Many players made an impact, but only great players leave a legacy. Russell Westbrook was built both on the court and in the community,” Presti said.
“His mindset was relentless, his commitment deep. For all those reasons, Oklahomans consider him one of their own, and his number will be raised to the rafters in Oklahoma City forever.”
Westbrook’s legacy in Oklahoma City is anchored by the kind of season that almost sounds fictional. In 2016-17, he won MVP after averaging a league-best 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 1.6 steals.
0 Forever 💙
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 2, 2026
02.07.27 pic.twitter.com/pTqRnespU2
That made him the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a full season. He also set the NBA record with 42 triple-doubles that year, and his 209 career triple-doubles remain the most in league history.
A nine-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, and three-time assist champion, Westbrook is headed for the Hall of Fame, and Oklahoma City is making sure his place in team history is permanent.
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