RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. It's been a while since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tweeted, but the recent NBA retirement announcement from future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook was the perfect occasion.
Westbrook, who last played for the Sacramento Kings, announced his retirement two days ago, bringing an end to his 18-season career in the association. On Thursday, SGA tweeted for the first time in five years, reacting to Westbrook's news.
"A real OKC legend forever. Congrats on an amazing career brother. Appreciate your contributions to the game," he said in retweeting the Thunder's message to Westbrook.
"To a legend on and off the floor, congrats on retirement and thank you for everything you gave to the city @russwest44," the Thunder's social media post said.
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Westbrook spent the majority of his career playing for the Thunder, previously the Seattle SuperSonics. The team drafted him in 2008 as the No. 4 pick from UCLA, and he played for the franchise through the 2018-19 season. During that time, he was part of a trio of young, emerging stars in the league, alongside James Harden and Kevin Durant.
They achieved the team's first appearance in the NBA Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, but came up on the losing side against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat.
However, Westbrook also became the team's top star after Durant and Harden's eventual departures. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2017 during a season in which he averaged a triple-double. In 11 years with OKC, Westbrook averaged 23 points, 8.4 assists, and seven rebounds per game.
He also became someone who inspired many other players. SGA has followed in his footsteps, becoming the top star in Oklahoma City, having now won back-to-back MVP awards and delivering a championship to OKC.
In addition to SGA's message to Westbrook, other NBA stars who reacted to the retirement news included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.
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