Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Russell Westbrook retires after 18 NBA seasons as triple-double king
Russell Westbrook was one of the biggest stars in the NBA, the top basketball league in the world.
He played professional basketball for 18 years and wore the uniforms of seven different teams, though he is most famous for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Westbrook is the best player ever at getting "triple-doubles," which means getting at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single game.
He finished with 209 triple-doubles, more than anyone else in NBA history.
In the 2016-17 season, he averaged a triple-double for the whole year and won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
He also won two scoring titles, made nine All-Star teams, and won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2012.
This summer, two teams asked him to come back and play, but they wanted him to take a smaller role.
Instead, he decided to retire and walk away on his own terms.
He said goodbye to fans with a video posted on social media, and he will be remembered as one of the toughest and most exciting players of all time.
Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on Wednesday, August 12, through a social media post featuring a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan.
He retires after 18 NBA seasons across seven teams, including 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and a 2012 NBA Finals appearance alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Westbrook holds the NBA career record with 209 triple-doubles and set the single-season record with 42 in 2016-17, when he won MVP.
He finished with 27,176 career points (14th all-time), 10,351 assists (5th all-time), nine All-Star selections and career averages of 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists.
Westbrook declined offseason offers from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards to avoid a reduced role, ending last season with 15.2 points per game in 58 starts for the Kings.
- Who
- Russell Westbrook, the 37-year-old nine-time All-Star point guard, NBA MVP and all-time triple-doubles leader, who played 18 seasons across seven teams.
- What
- Announced his retirement from the NBA, ending a career as the league's all-time leader in triple-doubles.
- When
- Wednesday, August 12, via a social media post.
- Where
- Social media; his career spanned the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings.
- Why
- He chose to step away on his own terms rather than continue in a reduced role, despite offseason offers from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards.
- Age at retirement
- 37
- NBA seasons played
- 18
- Teams played for
- 7 (Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Kings)
- Career triple-doubles
- 209 (NBA record; Nikola Jokic second with 198)
- Career statistics
- 27,176 points (14th all-time), 10,351 assists (5th all-time); averages of 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists
- All-Star selections
- 9
- MVP season
- 2016-17 (42 triple-doubles; averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists)
- Draft
- No. 4 overall, 2008, out of UCLA by the Seattle SuperSonics
