Russell Westbrook retires after 18 NBA seasons

Russell Westbrook announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from professional basketball, ending an 18-season NBA career. The nine-time NBA All-Star, now 37, confirmed his decision in a video shared on social media.

The announcement closes a run that spanned 1,301 regular-season games and included time with seven franchises. Westbrook did not outline any plans beyond stepping away from playing.

Russell Westbrook Career defined by triple-doubles and historic pace Westbrook exits the league as the NBA’s all-time Westbrook exits the league as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, finishing with 209. League officials and historical records have long treated the triple-double as a shorthand for broad statistical impact, and his total sits above every other player in NBA history. A central milestone in his résumé came in the 2016-17 season. Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double across a full season. That same year, he earned the league’s Most Valuable Player award after averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. Those figures remain a defining reference point in how his peak is discussed in the NBA record book. Drafted in 2008, anchored by Oklahoma City years

Westbrook entered the NBA as the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft, selected by the Seattle SuperSonics. He spent most of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a stretch that shaped his public profile and the bulk of his prime production. His top team result came with a trip to the 2012 NBA Finals, which remains a key moment on his career timeline. Westbrook also earned a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Olympics. On the all-time lists, Westbrook finishes with 27,176 regular-season points, ranked 14th in NBA history, and 10,351 assists, which place him fifth. Across his 1,301 games, his career averages were 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds. Awards, league recognition, and postseason production Westbrook led the NBA in assists three times and finished as the league’s scoring leader twice. He was also named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, a formal marker of his standing among the league’s most accomplished players.

In All-Star competition, he won All-Star Game MVP in consecutive years in 2015 and 2016. In 135 career playoff games, he averaged 22.5 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.7 rebounds, carrying high-volume production into the postseason.

Final season in Sacramento, records now fixed Westbrook’s final season came with the Sacramento Kings, where he averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. With his retirement, the league’s statistical benchmarks tied to his career—particularly his triple-double record and his 2016-17 season—remain locked into the NBA’s historical record.

How long those marks hold is uncertain, but the totals are now set and will continue to serve as a comparison point for future guards.