Russell Westbrook announces retirement: NBA's all-time triple-doubles leader steps away after 18 seasons

Westbrook was a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 NBA MVP Aug 12, 2026 at 3:14 pm ET • 1 min read Getty Images Russell Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 NBA MVP, announced his retirement after 18 seasons in a social media video on Wednesday. Westbrook, 37, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He played for seven different franchises and finished his career as the NBA's all-time leader in triple-doubles with 209. "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end," Westbrook wrote as the caption to a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan, which was posted to his social media channels. "You had to be there. And now it's over." Westbrook, a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team, made nine All-NBA teams (two first-team selections, five second-teams and two third-teams), won two All-Star Game MVPs and two scoring titles and led the league in assists three times. He is one of three players, along with Oscar Robertson and Nikola Jokić, to average a triple-double for an entire season, and did so four times. No one else has done so more than twice. In 1,301 career games with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, Westbrook averaged 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists. He is 14th on the all-time scoring list (27,176 points) and fifth in assists (10,351), and is one of two players (along with LeBron James) to have at least 25,000 points and 10,000 assists.