In the 2010s Russell Westbrook ranked among the best point guards in the league and won countless accolades. But after spending most of the last seven years bouncing around the league, he's ready to call it quits.
Taking to X on Wednesday, Westbrook published a video announcing his retirement. He even had it narrated by Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan.
"Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over," Westbrook said in the post.
Fans showed their respects to Westbrook, with some refusing to accept that he couldn't find a team to play for:
"My favorite player to ever play, inspired my love for the sport and I’ll never forget the highs and lows of growing up watching him turn our small market franchise into a global brand. It all started with Russ, deserves his respect and flowers. First ballot and a top 5 pg ever," one user on X declared.
"Not even 1 team could find a role for Russell Westbrook? Gtfoh! easily a top 10 point guard ever. They treat our legends so foul," wrote another.
"Bro, there is no way you are retiring when you’re easily as good as the sixth through the 12th man on any NBA team and could step in and start some games..."
Westbrook was the No. 4 overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in their inaugural season after moving out of Seattle. He played in every single game over his first five seasons, earning three All-Star selections and leading the team to the NBA Finals in 2012.
Westbrook really became a force in the mid-2010s, when he led the league in scoring twice. Between 2015 and 2018 he never finished worst than fourth in the NBA MVP avoting and won the prestigious prize in 2017.
Sadly, the NBA Finals would elude Westbrook for the rest of his career after 2012. He got back to the Western Conference Finals in 2016 but never came close to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy afterwards.
After being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2019, Westbrook started bouncing around the league, never spending two full years with a year for the rest of his career. Between 2019 and this past season he played for the Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Kings.
