Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook apparently haven’t stopped throwing alley-oops just because their NBA careers are over.
Paul and Westbrook shared an Instagram video on September 1 showing the two recently retired point guards playing basketball aboard a yacht. With a hoop set up on the deck, Paul and Westbrook took turns throwing lobs to one another before finishing at the rim.
Paul’s caption needed only one word: “Retirement…”
The clip quickly drew attention from around the NBA, including Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant, who had a fitting description for the pair.
“Point Gods,” Durant wrote in the comments.
Kevin Durant, NBA Players React to Paul-Westbrook Yacht Clip
Durant wasn’t alone in reacting to Paul and Westbrook’s unusual retirement activity.
The Instagram comments filled with jokes and messages from basketball figures, with one recurring theme: Neither former point guard looked particularly interested in slowing down.
Theo Pinson joked about the yacht-mounted basket and the aggression of the finishes.
“Yo C did yall put the rim down for you I ain’t never ever seen you act like that before,” Pinson wrote, adding laughing emojis.
The account belonging to Josh Richardson also joined in with a retirement joke.
“Yeah good thing all 3 of jus retired this summer that’s craazy,” the comment read.
Cameron Payne wrote, “My boys,” while prominent shooting coach and social-media personality Lethal Shooter reacted, “Damn this tough AF.”
But Durant’s two-word response carries considerably more history than the typical Instagram comment.
Durant and Westbrook spent eight seasons together with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder organization, developing from young lottery picks into two of the NBA’s biggest stars. They helped Oklahoma City reach the 2012 NBA Finals while both were still just 23.
Westbrook’s August retirement prompted Durant to reflect publicly on his former teammate.
Durant described Westbrook as someone who led through his preparation and actions, saying that watching Westbrook’s work habits influenced his own approach early in their careers.
The two now find themselves on opposite sides of basketball’s retirement line. Westbrook stepped away, while Durant remains an active member of the Rockets.
Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook Begin Life After the NBA
The yacht video comes less than three weeks after Westbrook officially ended an 18-season NBA career.
Westbrook announced his retirement on August 12. The 2017 NBA MVP left the league as its all-time leader in triple-doubles while ranking fifth in career assists and 14th in points.
Paul’s retirement came months earlier.
The 12-time All-Star announced in February that he was stepping away after 21 NBA seasons. Paul finished his career second in NBA history in both assists and steals.
That gives Paul’s “Retirement…” caption a little more significance than a standard vacation post.
Paul, one of the league’s most methodical floor generals, and Westbrook, one of its most explosive, spent much of their careers competing against one another before briefly becoming teammates with the Houston Rockets during the 2019-20 season.
They also ended up trading places in Houston. The Rockets acquired Westbrook from the Thunder in July 2019 in a deal that sent Paul to Oklahoma City.
Years later, their careers have ended within roughly six months of one another.
And apparently retirement basketball comes with better scenery.
The video shows Paul and Westbrook exchanging alley-oops with open water surrounding the court, producing the kind of scene that would have been difficult to imagine when the two were battling for playoff positioning and All-NBA honors.
Their resumes are now complete.
The competition, judging by the yacht video, may not be.
Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook Go Viral With Retirement Video