On Wednesday, Russell Westbrook hung up his sneakers and said goodbye to the game of basketball.
The legendary point guard, known for breakneck athleticism in his peak and an unwavering passion, retired from the NBA after 18 seasons. In the coming days, you're undoubtedly going to see some opinions about Westbrook "damaging" his legacy with his last few journeyman seasons (which isn't even true); about how he never fully adjusted to losing his athleticism as he aged (which also isn't true); about how he ultimately may have cost his various teams' chances to win more often than he helped them.
Ignore them all. Every last one. They're not worth your time because they're missing the forest for the trees with what Westbrook was about at his core.
Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end.
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) August 12, 2026
You had to be there. And now it’s over. pic.twitter.com/6YoOW8WyIV
As far as I'm concerned, Westbrook is one of the most influential players in basketball history, let alone just the NBA. Full stop. At his peak with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which culminated in a well-deserved MVP award in 2017, born of a season-long triple-double average, Westbrook was a vicious tornado of power. His motor, which is surely among the finest ever, was relentless. At times, I'm unsure he needed tangible fuel to keep going because his energy seemed perpetual, ceaseless. His ability to flip a game through an explosive ruthlessness no one else on the court possessed was unmatched.
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I'm not denying Westbrook's latter non-Oklahoma City days didn't come without friction. There's probably a good reason he never stayed more than two seasons with a single team after he left the Sooner State. Beyond a fiery personality that likely rubbed some mellower teammates the wrong way, Westbrook's propensity for a Backbreaking Mistake or two per game is well-documented. In this respect, Westbrook's short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he and LeBron James butted heads, comes to mind most.
But don't let the Lakers' internal narrative speak for Westbrook. It would be a disservice to Westbrook and basketball fans everywhere to let something like that cast a cloud over his undeniable place in the sport's history. I can say this with confidence because Westbrook remained an effective player well into his 30s. He did, in fact, step back and adjust to more of a sixth-man role on several occasions, most notably with the L.A. Clippers and Denver Nuggets. He did, in fact, find a way to influence winning well even when he was no longer a bona fide superstar bending the outcomes of games to his will.
He was not, and never was, a selfish one-trick pony, the way some might suggest.
Let's take this sentiment a step further. Westbrook was likely never as volatile or toxic the way some NBA circles still discuss him to this day. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of an exhausting, shortsighted hyperbole that tried to redefine Westbrook into a running joke of a player, not a guy who loved a beautiful game, loved winning, and loved (most of) his almost countless teammates.
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Without Westbrook, we don't get the point guard versions of hulking dynamos like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. We don't see a rise of hyperathletic guards who pressured and, very well, sometimes broke the rim. Without Westbrook, we don't get at least one established superstar name setting an example of punching in, putting in your best possible effort on the floor, and punching out every single night. Forget Westbrook wearing his heart on his sleeve. No, no. He had his heart tattooed to his body, never once tempering himself or his intensity in the heat of competition that invigorated him.
In the modern era of the NBA, partly defined by the rise of "load management" and a subsequent crusade to mitigate it, Westbrook's inclination to never dial things back stood out like a sore thumb. It's not how he was wired. Even if you still think Westbrook was ultimately overrated, his place in the game of basketball deserves respect for this admirable approach to his job, his livelihood, alone.
Westbrook is one of the most important players of the 21st century. You can't tell the story of the NBA this millennium without him. When the 2026 season tips off without Westbrook in October, we're going to miss him. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Russell Westbrook’s ultimate place in NBA history should be remembered with reverence | Opinion
