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.
Russell Westbrook retires as 1 of only 2 players in the 20k points, 10k assists, and 9k rebounds club in NBA History:
Russell Westbrook
LeBron James
That's it.
That's the list.
a 20/20/20 game intentionally in honor of Nipsey Hussle is probably one of the greatest feats in sports history. basically Babe Ruth pointing his bat to the stands, but for Crips.
Russell Westbrook WILL be a first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer.
27,176 PTS (14th all-time)
10,351 AST (5th all-time)
209 triple-doubles (most in NBA history)
LEGEND.
After 18 NBA seasons, Russell Westbrook has retired. A legendary career: NBA’s top 75, 2017 league MVP, nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, USA Olympic Gold Medalist and the all-time record for triple-doubles.
Russell Westbrook was the reason I fell in love with the Oklahoma City Thunder and basketball itself
He never went any less than 110%, he lifted up the franchise countless times, he won an MVP, and even after he left he deservingly got a standing ovation every time he returned to OKC
I’m really sad he didn’t get one last shot at a ring because few players ever deserve a championship more than Russ
But I am excited to sit front and center for when that #0 gets raised into the rafters of Paycom Center, nothing will stop me from being there for that and the statue unveiling when that comes around
To one of the greatest players in NBA and Thunder history and the one who made me fall in love with the game, thank you @russwest44
Enjoy retirement Brodie
Kai Cenat gets a lil emotional after Unc from Diamond Gym explains how no one cares when you’re at the lowest point in your life 💔
“people will bring flowers to your funeral but won’t bring you soup while you sick… no one gives a f*ck”
Duke lineup 2026-27 👀😈
Caleb Foster
John Blackwell
Dame Sarr
Cameron Williams
Patrick Ngongba
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Deron Rippey Jr
Cayden Boozer
Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje
Sebastian Wilkins
Drew Scharnowski
Bryson Howard
Maxime Meyer
Jacob Theodosiou
Who is stopping this lineup!? 😈🍿