TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement following an illustrious 18-season NBA career.
"Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it's over," Westbrook told the official NBA website on Thursday.
He caps off a stellar career holding the record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history alongside a spot on the league's 75th Anniversary Team.
According to league statistics, Westbrook retired with a career total of 209 triple-doubles, placing him ahead of Nikola Jokic's 198.
Drafted fourth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, he spent his foundational first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
His journey later took him to the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook claimed the 2017 NBA MVP award following a historic campaign where he posted 42 triple-doubles, a single-season record. During that marquee year, he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double over an entire season.
In addition to his MVP honors, Westbrook was a two-time NBA scoring champion and led the league in assists across three seasons. He also garnered two All-Star Game MVP trophies and helped propel Team USA to a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
During his final campaign with the Sacramento Kings in 2025-26, Westbrook suited up for 64 games, starting in 58 of them. He posted averages of 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game.
He initially broke the news of his retirement on social media through a video post narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan. Beyond his reign as the triple-double king, he leaves the game ranked fifth on the NBA's all-time assists leaderboard and 14th in total scoring.
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