RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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One of the most iconic NBA superstars of the 2010s called it a career this past week. Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on Aug. 12. He played 18 legendary seasons and will surely become a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in just three summers from now.
Westbrook played the first 11 seasons of his career on the Oklahoma City Thunder . That's where he became a global celebrity. Alongside Kevin Durant, the two co-starred in their first title contender. Even though they never sat on the NBA's golden throne, one NBA Finals trip and four Western Conference Finals appearances is the type of run you fondly remember.
In that time, Westbrook blossomed into an NBA superstar. He's a one-time MVP winner, nine-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA member. He also captured two scoring titles and three assist titles. To add to his marvelous individual stats, he completely redefined the triple-double. He's the all-time league leader in that achievement. He also averaged the mark four times in his stacked career.
Westbrook is universally viewed as one of OKC's greatest and best players ever. Aside from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he has the highest approval rating among the Thunder fanbase. Even after he left in 2019, he received deafening applause and cheers each time he visited the Paycom Center in the latter half of his career.
Besides Durant and Westbrook, arguably the third-biggest name in OKC's first title contender was Serge Ibaka. He's another developmental success story that goes under the radar because of how stupidly rich the Thunder are in that regard. He went from a late first-round overseas project to one of the best shot blockers of his time. He played seven seasons in OKC.
Joining in with the rest of the sports world, Ibaka paid tribute to Westbrook's career after his retirement. The two-time block champion took to social media to congratulate him on his epic career. The two were teammates on the Thunder for seven seasons from 2009-16.
"Time flies. I learned so much from you and had so much fun playing with you. One of the best competitors ever and one of the best teammates I ever had," Ibaka wrote. "I wish everyone had the chance to know you up close like I did. Congrats on an incredible career."
Cool to see Ibaka give Westbrook his flowers. All of the best Thunder players — both past and present — went out of their way to reflect on his retirement. Those two specifically have a special bond. They shared the trenches of several deep playoff runs and battles. Those are memories you hold onto forever.
What a blessing it has been to share a big part of my career with you!! Drafted on the same night by the same team in 2008… time flies. I learned so much from you and had so much fun playing with you. One of the best competitors ever and one of the best teammates I ever had. I… pic.twitter.com/kGGNk1g9uh
— Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka) August 14, 2026
congratulations on an amazing career we weeee! 💪🏾 https://t.co/JKAIuY0orX
— Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka) August 12, 2026 This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Serge Ibaka joins in on congratulating Russell Westbrook for NBA retirement
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