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Russell Westbrook retires after 18-season NBA career
By Aurax Desk | August 13, 2026 | 2 min read
Russell Westbrook has retired from the NBA after 18 seasons, ending a career defined by record-setting triple-doubles, an MVP award and an unusually intense style of play. The nine-time All-Star leaves the league as its career leader in triple-doubles, with 209, and among its top all-time scorers and assist leaders.
Russell Westbrook played 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and became one of the NBA's most prolific all-around guards.
Westbrook, 37, announced his retirement Wednesday after playing for seven teams during a career that began when the Seattle SuperSonics selected him fourth overall in the 2008 draft before the franchise relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. He spent his first 11 seasons in Oklahoma City and emerged as one of the league's most prominent players, particularly after Kevin Durant left the Thunder in 2016. The following season, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, becoming the first NBA player since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double for an entire season and earning the 2017 MVP award.
Westbrook's career triple-double total surpassed Robertson's previous record of 181 in 2021 and ultimately reached 209. He also finished with 27,176 points and 10,351 assists, ranking among the NBA's highest career totals in both categories. His career included a trip to the 2012 NBA Finals with Oklahoma City, nine All-NBA selections, two scoring titles and an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 2012, but he never won an NBA championship. After leaving Oklahoma City, Westbrook played for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, with his final NBA season coming in Sacramento.
Westbrook's legacy combines statistical achievements with a career that generated considerable debate over his playing style, shot selection and effectiveness as his role changed later in his career. His record 209 triple-doubles, including a single-season NBA record 42 in 2016-17, established him as one of the most productive all-around guards in league history, while his partnership with Durant remains one of the defining chapters of Oklahoma City's rise in the early 2010s. His retirement leaves the triple-double record in place as the league enters a new era, with Nikola Jokic among the active players closest to the mark.
Sources: ESPN, Associated Press and Reuters.