Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the game of basketball earlier this offseason, calling an end to his Hall-of-Fame career after 18 years in the NBA. Many prominent NBA figures — including his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant — believe Westbrook still had more gas left in the tank. I still thought Russ still had 5 or 6 more years left.
He’s an athletic body that can still impact the game positively," Durant said. "But sometimes people are at that point where they just want to step away and do something different Congrats to him on an iconic career.” Durant and Westbrook were teammates for eight seasons in Oklahoma City. The superstar teammates hit a rift in their relationship when Durant left to join the Golden State Warriors before the 2016-17 NBA season.
Westbrook, 37, finished his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings — averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in 2025-26. Durant is entering his second season with the Houston Rockets after averaging 26 points per game last year.
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