Washington (United States) (AFP) – The Oklahoma City Thunder will retire the number “0” jersey of star guard Russell Westbrook at a February 7 home game against New York, the NBA club announced on Monday. The 37-year-old guard announced his retirement in August after 18 NBA seasons in which he became the all-time league leader in triple doubles with 209.
Westbrook spent 11 seasons with the Thunder from 2008-2019 and had stints with Houston, Washington, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, Denver, and Sacramento. Westbrook won the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player award with the Thunder and led the club into the playoffs nine times, including four trips to the Western Conference finals and a run to the 2012 NBA Finals, where Oklahoma City lost to Miami.
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“We are incredibly proud to retire Russell’s number,” Thunder chairman Clayton Bennett said. “Russell made a lasting mark on the city and state during his time with the team, and his involvement in the community has endured long after. We are deeply grateful for his genuine care for the people of Oklahoma, and he will always be considered a member of the Oklahoma City community.”
Westbrook, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, retired as Oklahoma City’s all-time leader in games played (821), points (18,859), rebounds (5,760), assists (6,897), steals (1,442), field goals made (6,626), and minutes played (28,329).
“Many players make an impact but only great players leave a legacy. Russell Westbrook’s legacy was built both on the court and in the community,” Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said. “His mindset was relentless, his commitment deep. For all those reasons, Oklahomans consider him one of their own, and his number will be raised to the rafters in Oklahoma City forever.”
In the 2016-17 campaign, Westbrook averaged an NBA-best 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists a game to become only the second player to average a triple double for a full season. He had a single-season record 42 triple doubles in that MVP season. Westbrook was a two-time NBA scoring champion, in 2015 and 2017, and a nine-time NBA All-Star plus a three-time NBA season assists leader — 2018, 2019, and 2021. Westbrook appeared in 1,301 regular-season games, 1,133 as a starter, and had career averages of 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds.
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