Russell Westbrook has announced that he is stepping away from basketball after an 18-year NBA career.
Westbrook shared a video on social media looking back at his career.
The clip, narrated by Michael B. Jordan, does not directly mention retirement but describes him leaving the game “on (his) own terms.”
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end,” Westbrook wrote. “You had to be there. And now it’s over.”
Selected fourth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Westbrook spent his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before playing for the Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Kings.
Westbrook averaged 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals across 1,301 regular-season games. He reached the NBA Finals with Oklahoma City in 2012.
The nine-time All-Star won the 2017 NBA MVP award, led the league in scoring twice and assists three times, and earned nine All-NBA selections.
Westbrook also became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season and eventually accomplished the feat four times.
He retires with an NBA-record 209 career triple-doubles.
In his final season with Sacramento, Westbrook averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds over 64 games.
Rather than return in a reduced role, he decided to end his playing career ahead of his 38th birthday.
Russell Westbrook Announces Retirement https://t.co/3hHCkPQkps
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) August 12, 2026
