Olympic gold medalist and former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, at age 37, announced his retirement from the NBA via social media on Wednesday.
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end,” Westbrook wrote on X. “You had to be there. Now it’s over.”
After 18 years in the league, Westbrook leaves behind a generational career. He played for seven franchises, including both of his hometown teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. He was selected No. 4 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics after spending two seasons at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
A defining theme of Westbrook’s career was that he did things his way, both on and off the court.
Nicknamed “The Brodie”, Westbrook’s career was long, complicated and, at times, polarizing.
Westbrook made his mark through his impact on his community, his family and his distinctive style, including his daring fashion tunnel fits. On the court, he became one of basketball’s most prolific statistical performers of his era.
A triple-double machine
During the 2016-17 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award after averaging a triple-double for the season.
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