After Russell Westbrook announced his NBA retirement, the entire sports world remembered one of the most epic careers in recent history. Even though he walked away ringless, the NBA superstar was one of the era-defining figures in the 2010s.
When you think of that decade, you think of Westbrook. Alongside Kevin Durant, he co-starred on a constant title contender. The Oklahoma City Thunder were frequently one of the main characters. The all-time triple-double leader was a one-time MVP winner and a perennial All-NBA member. He completely lit up the box score.
NBA legends — past and present — have spent the last two weeks commemorating Westbrook's mythical run. He's a future Hall-of-Famer and part of a pantheon of basketball gods. Someone else he shares
company with in that regard? Tracy McGrady.
McGrady already sits in the Hall of Fame. He's one of the more dynamic scorers of the 2000s. The seven-time All-Star might also be ringless, but the basketball universe fondly remembers his impact on the game. He recently went on his 'Cousins' podcast with Vince Carter to make a bold statement.
"20-20-20, bro? That’s only been done twice. Like, I know Kobe had 81. Bam had 83. I seen Luka hit 70. I seen Donovan Mitchell hit 70. I seen Book hit 70," McGrady said. "But the 20-20-20 to me is probably the greatest individual performance that I’ve seen out of a player from Westbrook."
Of all the one-man-show games Westbrook had over the years, his 20-point, 20-rebound and 21-assist triple-double is up there among the best. He achieved the ultra-rare feat in OKC's Apr. 2019 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, most know he dedicated his game to his late friend and musician Nipsey Hussle — who was tragically murdered in Mar. 2019. That added an extra layer of sentimentality to his game.
As McGrady said, he believes that's the greatest individual game in NBA history. That's quite the statement to make. Incredibly bold. But you love to see a fellow all-time player go out of his way to show how much Westbrook meant to the game in his 18-season career.
After being one of the most heavily scrutinized NBA superstars in his prime, it's nice to see a universal showing of love once Westbrook called it a career. Say what you want about his high-maintenance, high-energy playstyle, but it completely captivated an entire generation's worth of hoops fans — regardless of which side of the fence you sat on.
Tracy McGrady says Russell Westbrook 20,20,20 game is the greatest individual performance he’s ever seen:
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) August 17, 2026
“Like, I know Kobe had 81, Bam had 83. I seen Luka hit 70. I seen Donovan Mitchell hit 70. I seen Book hit 70. But the 20,20,20 to me probably the greatest individual… https://t.co/vp7PaZHCqQ pic.twitter.com/9lzkAHCWAe
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Tracy McGrady believes Russell Westbrook has 'greatest individual performance' ever
