LeBron, Mitchell lead praise for Russell Westbrook after retirement news

          play
          'NBA Today' reacts to Russell Westbrook's retirement (2:05)

          • ESPN staffAug 12, 2026, 04:23 PM ET

          One of the best guards of his generation is hanging it up.

          Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on social media Wednesday, ending an 18-year NBA career that included an MVP award plus nine All-NBA and All-Star selections. Westbrook shared the news in a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan. He captioned it: "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it's over."

          Westbrook spent last season with the Sacramento Kings, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.2 rebounds. The Seattle SuperSonics selected Westbrook at No. 4 out of UCLA in the 2008 NBA draft before it relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. He played 11 seasons in Oklahoma City, winning MVP in the 2016-17 campaign after becoming the first player to average a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62.

          The triple-double king, Westbrook recorded 209 across his career, the most in NBA history. He also finishes his career ranking fifth all time in assists and 14th on the all-time scoring list. He is one of two players in NBA history with 25,000 points and 10,000 assists, the other being LeBron James, according to ESPN Research.

          Praise and congratulations from across the sports world poured in for Westbrook, led by James and two of the top current guards in the NBA -- Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young.