Russell Westbrook announced his retirement. An illustrious end to 18 seasons, and the Sacramento Kings were a part of it.
Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons in a four-minute video on X on Wednesday afternoon.
"Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end," Westbrook captioned his video on X. "You had to be there. And now it’s over."
Westbrook had a historic career. He was named to the NBA's top 75, a 2017 league MVP, a nine-time All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA, a USA Olympic Gold Medalist and holds the record for triple-doubles.
The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him with the fourth-overall pick in 2009. They brought in a high-energy point guard who only knew how to play at one speed: 100%.
His quickness shocked left defenders stuck in place while he shook the rim with thunderous, highlight dunks. The growth exhibited in the first four years of his career led Oklahoma City AKA "The Baby Thunder," to the 2012 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Westbrook became a perennial 20-point scorer and established himself as a top playmaker in the league, averaging seven to eight assists a game.
Fast forward to his MVP year, the 6-foot-4 point guard broke Oscar Robertson's single-season triple-double record. He totaled 42 triple-doubles en route to averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists.
The excellence displayed lasted two more seasons, conditioning fans to treat such dominance as normalcy. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has averaged a triple-double in the last two years, and while impressive, it's routine for the three-time MVP.
Westbrook spent 11 seasons in Oklahoma City, but his tenure ended when he requested a trade to the Houston Rockets. He reunited with his former teammate, James Harden, to form a formidable backcourt.
His time in Houston became the beginning of his career as a journeyman. The 18-year veteran played one season with the Rockets before being traded to the Washington Wizards.
In Washington, he propelled the team to the playoffs by averaging another triple-double. It was statistically his best season rebounding (11.5) and passing (11.7).
The Los Angeles Lakers traded for Westbrook in the 2021 offseason, bringing the former UCLA Bruin back to his old stomping grounds. His return home was bittersweet, as former coach Darvin Ham changed his role from starter to bench player.
After two unsuccessful seasons with the Lakers, he was traded to the Utah Jazz, was waived and joined their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers.
He provided a solid bench presence, reunited with Paul George and Harden. However, at times, Westbrook would hijack the offense with his full-speed pace.
It proved detrimental more often than not despite his identity as a high-energy player. Los Angeles did not re-sign him in the 2024 offseason, leading him to join Jokić in Denver for one season.
The highs were high, but the lows were low. The former superstar became a roller coaster of good performance and bad performance nightly.
He declined his player option last offseason, and no team was interested in signing him before the Sacramento Kings took a shot with the 18-year veteran. On a veteran's minimum contract, he played his role as a backup point guard who could orchestrate the offense.
Throughout the season, he'd turn back the clock and record a triple-double to power the Kings to victory. General manager Scott Perry said he'd love to have Westbrook back, but the team could only offer the veteran's minimum.
Westbrook was stuck in free agency limbo, but he remained calm. Lo and behold, he knew the end was inching closer and closer.
He called it a career after 18 seasons, breaking historic records, and the Kings can proudly say they were part of his journey, even if it was one losing season.
