Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons. The announcement closes the career of one of the most intense and productive point guards the league has ever seen. Westbrook, 37, made the announcement on August 14, 2026, in a statement thanking the teams, coaches and fans who supported him.
An MVP career built on relentless play
Westbrook was drafted fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008 and became a star with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2017, the same year he averaged a triple-double for the whole season. His style was defined by full-speed drives to the basket, ferocious rebounds and an unshakeable will to win. He made nine All-Star teams and was named All-NBA nine times.
Records that may never be broken
Westbrook holds the NBA record for career triple-doubles with 199. He passed Oscar Robertson's long-standing mark in 2021. He also owns the record for most triple-doubles in a single season, with 42 in 2016-17. Across stints with the Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets, he averaged 21.7 points, 8.1 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game. Those numbers put him in the conversation as one of the best point guards of all time.
Teammates and rivals pay tribute
The reaction around the league was immediate. Kevin Durant, his longtime teammate in Oklahoma City, released a statement praising Westbrook's competitiveness and loyalty. Other former rivals described the difficulty of guarding him night after night. Westbrook said he plans to stay involved in basketball, focusing on youth development and community work in his hometown of Los Angeles. His number is expected to be retired by the Thunder in the coming seasons. For a generation of fans, Westbrook's nightly explosions of energy defined an era of basketball that will be hard to match.