Russell Westbrook Ends Storied NBA Career
Former league MVP and nine-time All-Star bids farewell to basketball after 18 seasons, with a record 209 triple-doubles standing out in his legacy.
Former league MVP and nine-time All-Star bids farewell to basketball after 18 seasons, with a record 209 triple-doubles standing out in his legacy.
Russell Westbrook, one of the most recognizable basketball players of his generation, announced the end of his professional career on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. The 37-year-old American leaves the NBA after 18 seasons, breaking the news via social media with an emotional video narrated by acclaimed actor Michael B. Jordan, as reported by N1 BiH. Jordan, who won an Oscar this year for Best Actor, lent his voice to the farewell clip in which Westbrook himself did not speak a word. Accompanying the video was a short but telling message: "You had to be there. And now it's over."
Westbrook retires as the league's all-time leader in triple-doubles (209), ranks fifth in career assists, and is one of only two players in history to surpass 25,000 points and 10,000 assists. The other name on that exclusive list is LeBron James. On the all-time triple-double list, behind him at the time of his retirement were active Serbian center Nikola Jokić with 198 and the legendary Oscar Robertson with 182.
The Sacramento Kings were the seventh and final team of Westbrook's NBA career. Klix.ba reports that in 64 games, 58 of which he started, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He was the team's leader in assists and steals, missing the final 11 games of the season due to a toe injury.
The Kings finished the season with a 22-60 record, the worst in the Western Conference and the most losses for any Westbrook-led team in his career. His worst season for a team came as a rookie with Oklahoma City in 2008-09, when the Thunder posted a 23-59 record.
Westbrook reached the pinnacle of his individual career in the 2016-17 season, averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He recorded a then-record 42 triple-doubles in a single season and was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
Even in his final year, he continued to push historical boundaries. He climbed to fifth on the all-time assists list, surpassing Steve Nash and Mark Jackson. He also became the first guard in league history with over 9,000 rebounds and added six more triple-doubles, raising his all-time record to 209.
Westbrook entered the league in 2008 as the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft. He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career and became the face of the franchise after Kevin Durant's departure. In 2012, he reached the NBA Finals with Oklahoma City, but they were stopped by the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
He was the last of the famed trio of Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant to leave Oklahoma, doing so in 2019 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets. He subsequently played for the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and finally the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook leaves without an NBA championship ring, but with an individual résumé that places him among the best players of his generation. He was selected to nine All-Star Games, named to nine All-NBA Teams, led the league in scoring twice, and topped the assists charts three times.
Beyond his NBA success, he won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. national team at the 2012 London Games. He finishes his career with 27,176 points, 9,025 rebounds, and 10,351 assists. The next major honor could come in a few years when he becomes eligible for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, concludes N1 BiH.
