Russell Westbrook retires after 18 NBA seasons
The 2017 NBA MVP and league record-holder with 209 triple-doubles has ended an 18-season career.
In short
- The 2017 NBA MVP and league record-holder with 209 triple-doubles has ended an 18-season career.
Russell Westbrook, the NBA’s career leader in triple-doubles and the league’s 2017 Most Valuable Player, announced his retirement on August 12, 2026, ending an 18-season career.
Westbrook disclosed the decision in a social-media post. He retires with 209 regular-season triple-doubles, the highest total in NBA history. He also holds the single-season record of 42, set during his MVP campaign in 2016-17.
Selected fourth overall in the 2008 draft, Westbrook spent his first 11 seasons with the franchise that moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. He later played for Houston, Washington, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver and Sacramento.
The guard was a two-time NBA scoring champion, led the league in assists three times and was twice named All-Star Game MVP. He also won an Olympic gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Games and was selected to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Westbrook played his final season with Sacramento, starting 58 of 64 games and averaging 15.2 points and 6.7 assists.
