One of basketball’s most electric players just called it a career. Russell Westbrook, a former NBA MVP, announced his retirement this week after 18 seasons in the league, closing out one of the most unique careers the NBA has ever seen.
Westbrook shared the news through a video on social media, narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan, showing highlights from his career without Westbrook saying a single word himself. In the caption, he wrote that sometimes you don’t realize you’ve already watched the end, and that now it’s simply over.
For people who don’t follow basketball closely, here’s why this is such a big deal: Westbrook holds the NBA’s all-time record for triple-doubles, a stat that basically means a player racks up double-digit numbers in three different categories, like points, rebounds, and assists, in a single game. He recorded 209 of them over his career, way more than anyone else in league history.
He was drafted back in 2008 and spent his early years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, quickly becoming a star. Over his career, he played for seven different teams, won an MVP award in 2017, and was picked for nine All-Star teams. Even though he never won a championship, he’s still considered one of the most dominant and exciting players of his generation.
Sources close to Westbrook say he actually had offers to keep playing this season but decided to walk away on his own terms instead. Now, all that’s really left is waiting for his official Hall of Fame induction, which is expected in a few years.
(Sources: ESPN, NBA.com, Al Jazeera)
