Even with the offseason over, we're still feeling the ripple effects of Russell Westbrook's NBA retirement. When you're a basketball pantheon, the game feels your absence for a long time. He played an epic 18 seasons and is a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer at the end of the decade.
Westbrook played his first 11 seasons on the Oklahoma City Thunder. He enjoyed his best years there. Both at the individual and team level. The former MVP winner shattered every triple-double record. Along the way, he was a perennial All-Star and All-NBA member. Oh, and he had a few scoring and assist titles under his belt.
It wasn't just all video-game-esque stats, either. Alongside Kevin Durant, Westbrook co-starred in OKC's first title contender. They had several deep playoff
runs in their time together. Even though they failed to bring home a Larry O'Brien trophy, that type of high-bar success is a rich-filled era fans will immortalize.
Even if things ended badly with Durant's departure to the arch-rival Golden State Warriors, I think time will look fondly on that NBA superstar duo. They spent eight years together as a constant title threat. You don't just forget about all of the highs and lows that come with that type of run together. They're forever tied to the hip because of their history and well-documented imperfect pairing and relationship.
Westbrook had about as pitch-perfect a career as you could dream of. Sure, he never won a ring, but he was an era-defining NBA superstar. When we look back at the 2010s, he's one of the five names that will pop into mind. That said, Durant felt like the 37-year-old had a little bit left in the tank to give to the game.
"I was a little sad. I thought Russ still had five or six more years left," Durant said. "He’s an athletic body that can still impact the game positively. But sometimes, people are at the point where they want to step away and do something different. Congrats to him on an iconic career."
The timing of Durant's comments is interesting. Just this past Monday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander voiced something similar. Westbrook did put up decent numbers on the Sacramento Kings last season as a 15-point scorer, but I think the NBA had slowly drifted away from his chaotic style of play. Especially since his Superman athleticism had taken a downturn over the past half-decade.
But hey, Westbrook rode off on the sunset. He had little to prove. At least he was able to leave on his own terms — for the most part. That type of storybook ending to a legendary NBA career seldom happens. Now, we await his eventual Hall of Fame induction and the Thunder's inevitable No. 0 jersey retirement.
Kevin Durant on Russell Westbrook: “I was a little sad. I thought Russ still had 5 or 6 more years left. He’s an athletic body that can still impact the game positively. Congrats to him on an iconic career.” pic.twitter.com/qM2kFpgoFt
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 9, 2026
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Kevin Durant believed Russell Westbrook had '5 or 6 more years left' in NBA
