Russell Westbrook announces retirement after 18 seasons in NBA

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/westbrook-russell/xdkW8SCH/"]Westbrook[/a] played ‌in 18 NBA campaigns between 2008 and 2026, shining the most during his first 11 seasons playing for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City Thunder[/a]. [/p][p]Westbrook was ⁠one of the best players in the NBA during the 2010s, winning the 2016-17 MVP with the ​Thunder. He made the NBA Finals once as well as four Western Conference Finals appearances in his time ⁠there.[/p][p]"[b]Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end[/b]," the 37-year-old said. "[b]You had to be ‌there. And now it’s over[/b]."[/p][embed guid="99926cd9-7dae-4d74-a50f-fb41d79c26ae" url="https://x.com/russwest44/status/2087607645540585686" social-type="twitter" /][p]Westbrook also suited up for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Washington Wizards[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles Lakers[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-clippers/vPeTYlqm/"]LA Clippers[/a], and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver Nuggets[/a] before signing a one-year deal with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sacramento-kings/CvwE1OCB/"]Sacramento Kings[/a] last season.[/p][p]He averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals with the Kings but had remained unsigned as a free agent.[/p][p]As well as being an MVP winner, he was also a nine-time ‌All-Star, nine-time All-NBA member, two-time scoring champion and three-time assist champion.[/p][p]He became the first player in 60 years, since Oscar Robertson, to average a triple-double for an entire season; he then went on to achieve the same feat four times in five years.[/p][p]He is one of only three players in NBA history, along with Robertson and Denver star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a], to average a triple-double over a season.[/p][infobox id="a9570b4f-da31-4683-ae60-9f920c0540d9" /]