Russell Westbrook retires after 18 NBA seasons

The 2017 MVP exits with a record 209 triple-doubles

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 121 min read

After 18 NBA seasons, Russell Westbrook has retired. A legendary career: NBA’s top 75, 2017 league MVP, nine-time All-St Via @ShamsCharania on X

What happened: Westbrook earned nine All-Star selections, nine All-NBA honors and a place on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He also won Olympic gold with USA.

Why it matters: His exit removes a decorated veteran from the free-agent pool ahead of the 2026-27 season. He averaged a triple-double in four seasons, an unprecedented NBA total.

By the numbers: 209 career regular-season triple-doubles; nine All-Star selections; nine All-NBA honors; four seasons averaging a triple-double.

What to watch: Westbrook’s post-career plans are the next development to watch.

Sources

@ShamsCharania 2026-08-12T18:49:52.406403+00:00

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