Congrats on a remarkable 18-year NBA career, Russ! 👏
2016-17 Kia NBA MVP
9x NBA All-Star
9x All-NBA
2x NBA scoring champion
5th all-time in assists
All-time leader in triple-doubles
NBA 75th Anniversary Team member
Russell Westbrook retired today with the most triple-doubles in NBA history. The name written on his wrist for all 18 seasons belongs to the kid UCLA actually wanted. That kid died at 16, and Westbrook spent two decades playing for both of them.
Westbrook was a 5'8", 140-pound freshman that no college recruited. The call UCLA's head coach made to his high school in 2004 was about Khelcey Barrs III, Westbrook's best friend from across the street in Hawthorne. A 6'6" phenom pulling scholarship offers as a sophomore. The two had a pact to play at UCLA together, then the NBA.
In May 2004, during a pickup game at LA Southwest College, Barrs collapsed on the court. An undiagnosed enlarged heart.
Westbrook walked across the street every morning after that to do his friend's chores at his grandmother's house. Then he grew 7 inches, averaged 25 a game as a junior, and took the UCLA offer they were supposed to accept together. From that point on he played like a man carrying two careers.
The numbers he put up look like typos.
209 triple-doubles is the most in NBA history, and it took breaking Oscar Robertson's record that stood for 47 years. In 2017 he averaged a triple-double across an entire season, something no human had done since 1962, then did it three more times. 27,176 points, 14th all time. 10,351 assists, 5th all time, behind only Stockton, CP3, Kidd, and LeBron. He did all of it at 6'3" in a league of giants, and outlasted the franchise that drafted him. Seattle picked him 4th in 2008 and stopped existing before he played a game.
And in every one of his 1,301 games, he wore two wristbands. One said KB3. The other said "Why not?"
People spent 18 years asking why he played every possession like the building was on fire. He was playing for two.
@lkrunitup @yoa1fredo@PensareBBall I agree he’s definitely more athletic but idk man think they are pretty similar in terms of impact not as far off as you think
@lkrunitup @yoa1fredo@PensareBBall Yea they could, seeing Hartenstein last year who I’d say impact wise is pretty similar to Jakob so replace those two and still think it would be the same result
My name is Asjad. With the help of a friend i started this campaign to help other Sudanese families. It goes towards medical pills, groceries, rent, evacuation and education.
Whatever you send would be of great help.
https://t.co/YqJcPpPr8R
It’s wild that Sudanese ppl have to convince other Muslims to care that the UAE is funding rape, famine & genocide. The same way Palestinians deal with Zionists, we deal with Muslims making excuses for a munafiq state. They treat the UAE like it’s sacred. It’s actually not okay
25 million people are on the verge of starvation in Sudan
The UAE created one of the worst humanitarian crises in world history. Their ruler Mohammed bin Zayed is a devil in human form
May Allah protect the Muslims in Sudan.