Russell Westbrook retires after 18 NBA seasons

Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on social media Wednesday, ending an 18-season NBA career that spanned seven teams. Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Westbrook had offers this offseason from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards but chose to step away from the game on his own terms.

Westbrook was the No. 4 pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He finishes with career averages of 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game.

Westbrook holds the NBA record for most career triple-doubles with 209. He set the league record in 2021 when he recorded his 182nd triple-double, surpassing Oscar Robertson's mark of 181, which had stood since 1974.

Westbrook spent 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the bulk of his career, and was named MVP in 2017 during his time there. He teamed with Kevin Durant and James Harden to lead the Thunder to a Western Conference title in 2012 before losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Westbrook's agent, Excel Sports Management founder and CEO Jeff Schwartz, released a statement earlier Wednesday addressing difficulties veteran players face landing deals under the current collective bargaining agreement's first and second apron rules. "Incredible, the Lakers sell for $12B, yet teams won't spend on older vets because of current CBA rules. Thank you, Union," Schwartz said.