Russell Westbrook, the electric No. 4 overall pick from our very own 2008 Seattle SuperSonics draft, announced his retirement after an incredible 18 seasons yesterday. The 37-year-old guard, who defined explosive athleticism and a relentless motor for nearly two decades, shared the news in a social media video, closing out a career that left an indelible mark on the NBA record books. It hits different when you remember he was drafted by the Emerald City.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Career For The Ages
Seriously, this guy’s resume is insane. Westbrook finished his career as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles with a mind-boggling 209. Think about that for a second. That’s a record that’s going to stand for a *long* time. He’s also one of only three players to average a triple-double for an entire season, a feat he pulled off four times. Four! Nobody else has done it more than twice. His career averages of 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 8.0 assists over 1,301 games are just ridiculous.
Beyond the triple-doubles, Westbrook was a 9-time All-Star, the 2017 NBA MVP, a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, and made nine All-NBA teams. He won two All-Star Game MVPs, two scoring titles, and led the league in assists three times. The man is 14th on the all-time scoring list with 27,176 points and fifth in all-time assists with 10,351. He and LeBron James are the only two players to ever top 25,000 points and 10,000 assists in their careers. As the actor Michael B. Jordan narrated in his retirement video, Westbrook’s caption summed it up perfectly, “Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.”
What Could Have Been: The OKC Years and the Sonics Ghost
After our Sonics moved to Oklahoma City before his rookie season, Westbrook teamed up with Kevin Durant and James Harden to form one of the league’s most exciting young cores. They made the Western Conference Finals in 2011 and then the NBA Finals in 2012, where they eventually lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. You had Westbrook and Durant at 23, and Harden at 22, and everyone assumed it was “just a matter of time until the Thunder won a title.” Man, what a gut punch that didn’t happen.
Unfortunately, due to injuries, personality clashes, cheap ownership decisions, and the rise of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, that group never even got back to the Finals. Harden was traded after the 2012 Finals, and Westbrook himself suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first round of the 2013 playoffs when Patrick Beverley went diving for a steal. He needed multiple surgeries, and while he still became an MVP, that early promise was never fully realized for the Thunder.
It’s a bittersweet goodbye to a player who embodied relentless energy on the court. While Seattle never saw Westbrook don the green and gold, his draft night remains a stark reminder of what we once had. What a career. What a player.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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