Former MVP Russell Westbrook announced his retirement Wednesday after 18 seasons in the NBA.
The nine-time All-Star shared a cryptic video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan with the caption: "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. ... And now it's over."
Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end.
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) August 12, 2026
You had to be there. And now it’s over. pic.twitter.com/6YoOW8WyIV
Westbrook received offers this offseason from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards before opting to retire, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Sacramento was looking to bring back the veteran floor general in a reduced role behind rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., Charania added.
Westbrook, 37, spent 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, including his MVP-winning 2016-17 campaign.
"Russell Westbrook is the ultimate competitor," Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said in a statement, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
Presti added: "He built a Hall of Fame career not by making statements or simply by breaking records; he did it by showing us all the power of asking one simple question: why not?"
Westbrook also made appearances for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Wizards, and Kings. The two-time scoring champ holds the NBA record for most career triple-doubles with 209.
Over 1,301 career games, Westbrook averaged 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and eight assists over 33.1 minutes.
