Russell Westbrook is retiring from the NBA on Wednesday, Aug. 12. This ends his 18-year NBA career, which started in 2008 with the Oklahoma City Thunder and ends with the Sacramento Kings.
He announced his decision via a video he posted on social media that showed him walking down memory lane, while popular actor Michael B. Jordan narrated his story.
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over,” he wrote on his social media accounts.
Russell Westbrook’s Hall of Fame NBA Career
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 21: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates after making a three point shot during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Russell Westbrook has etched his name in basketball history during his time in the NBA.
Considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, Westbrook has amassed numerous records and awards that make him a surefire Hall of Famer.
Westbrook is an NBA MVP, nine-time All-Star, and the league’s all-time leader in career triple-doubles. He also won back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards in 2015 and 2016, a testament to his tenacity regardless of what is at stake.
Westbrook also secured two scoring titles, three assist titles, and a spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
He is also a nine-time All-NBA Team selection, including two First Team nods.
Westbrook has also achieved success on the international stage, winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics and a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Outside of the court, his extensive philanthropic work through his “Why Not?” Foundation earned him the NBA’s season-long Community Assist Award in 2015. He has continued his charitable endeavor until today.
Russell Westbrook’s NBA Teams
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 02: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers has a few words for the fans during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 02, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Westbrook played with seven different teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook is fondly remembered for his time with the Thunder, where he became a franchise legend and the face of the team towards the end of the 2010s. In OKC, he played alongside all-time greats such as James Harden and Kevin Durant, both of whom are also regarded as future Hall of Famers.
When Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in 2016, Westbrook became the Thunder’s bastion, putting up video-game numbers that ultimately became his career’s most defining statistics.
He averaged a triple-double for a full season four different times in his career. He first achieved this historic feat during his 2017 MVP season with the Thunder, and later repeated it three more times, twice again with the Thunder in 2018 and 2019 and once with the Wizards in 2021.
Westbrook played his final NBA season during the 2025-2026 campaign with the Sacramento Kings, appearing in 64 games and averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds.
There were rumors of him moving to the EuroLeague, but it was debunked shortly before he announced his retirement from the sport.
It is only a matter of time before Westbrook is finally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Russell Westbrook Ends NBA Career As Surefire Hall Of Famer