Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA). A member of the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time
NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
and earned the
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
(MVP) for the
2016–17 season. He is also a nine-time
All-NBA Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
member,
led the league in scoring in
2014–15 and 2016–17, and won back-to-back
NBA All-Star Game MVP
The NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to de ...
awards in 2015 and 2016.
In 2017, the year he won the league MVP award, Westbrook became one of two players in NBA history to average a
triple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
for a season, along with
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...
in 1962. He also set a record for the most triple-doubles in a season, with 42. He went on to average a triple-double the following two seasons as well as lead the league in
assists and become the first player to lead the league in points and assists in multiple seasons. In
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
, Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the fourth time in five seasons,
and he passed Robertson for the most career triple-doubles in NBA history.
Westbrook played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...
and earned third-team
all-conference honors in the
Pac-10
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the
2008 NBA draft by the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
, who then
relocated to
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
that same week. Westbrook has represented the
United States national team twice, winning gold medals in the
2010 FIBA World Championship and the
2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
. In 2019, he was traded to the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
, playing one season for the organization before being traded again to the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
in 2020. After a season in Washington, he was traded to the Lakers in 2021.
Early life
Westbrook was born in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, to Russell Westbrook Jr. and Shannon Horton. He has a younger brother named Raynard. Growing up in
Hawthorne
Hawthorne often refers to the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Hawthorne may also refer to:
Places
Australia
*Hawthorne, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
Canada
* Hawthorne Village, Ontario, a suburb of Milton, Ontario
United States
* Hawt ...
,
Westbrook and his best friend Khelcey Barrs III had hopes of going to UCLA and playing together. At age 16, Barrs was already known to have excellent basketball skills and received college scholarship offers.
In May 2004, Barrs died from an enlarged heart during a
pick-up game
In sports and video games, a pick-up game (also known as a ''scratch game'' or ''PUG'') is a game that has been spontaneously started by a group of players. Players are generally invited to show up beforehand, but unlike exhibition games there i ...
.
After Barrs' death, Westbrook seemed even more determined to excel in honor of his best friend's memory.
[
]
High school career
Westbrook entered Leuzinger High School
Leuzinger High School is a public high school (9th through 12th grades) in Lawndale, California, United States. It opened on January 27, 1931, with an enrollment of 268. It was named after Adolph Leuzinger in recognition of his 25 years of servic ...
as a point guard who stood only tall and weighed only , although he did have large (size 14) feet. He did not start on his school's varsity team until his junior year, and did not receive his first college recruiting letter until the summer before his senior year. Westbrook grew to his adult height of that same summer.
During his senior year, Westbrook averaged 25.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals, and 2.3 assists and helped lead them to a 25–4 record. That same season, he recorded 14 double-doubles, scored 30 or more points on eight separate occasions, and registered a career-best 51 points at Carson on January 6, 2006. Westbrook initially did not attract much attention from top college basketball programs. After his height increased, contributing to him averaging more than 25 points per game and becoming a solid college basketball prospect, coach Ben Howland
Benjamin Clark Howland (born May 28, 1957) is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as the men's head coach at Mississippi State University from to 2015 to 2022. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Northern ...
recruited him to play for the UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...
. Westbrook declined other offers while waiting for the Bruins' Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an Israeli-American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' High School Player of the Y ...
to leave early for the NBA and free up a scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholarsh ...
.
College career
Westbrook wore number 0 throughout his career at the University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. As a freshman in 2006–07, he played as a backup to Darren Collison
Darren Michael Collison (born August 23, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. Collison played four seasons of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned All-Pac-10 conference honors three times, and won ...
and was primarily used as a defender and energy player off the bench. Westbrook averaged 3.4 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on the year. During the offseason, he trained extensively, both in the weight room and in the gym, where he faced NBA veterans who visited Los Angeles. The next season, Collison was injured and Westbrook was named the starter. He finished the season averaging 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals. At the end of the year, he was named All-Pac-10 Third Team and won the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.
UCLA advanced to the Final Four during each of Westbrook's seasons with the team. In 2007, they lost to eventual national champion Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, 76–66 and in 2008, they lost 78–63 to Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
. After two years at UCLA, Westbrook decided to forgo his final two years and enter the 2008 NBA draft. He stayed in school and finished the quarter, a rarity for high draft picks declaring early for the draft.[
]
Professional career
Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2019)
All-Rookie honors and first playoffs (2008–10)
Westbrook was selected 4th overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
, which then relocated to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
and became the Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
six days later. He signed with the team on July 5, 2008. On March 2, 2009, Westbrook recorded his first career triple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He was the first rookie since Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
and the third rookie in Sonics/Thunder franchise history ( Art Harris and Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with ...
) to record a triple-double.
Westbrook averaged 15.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on the season. He finished fourth in the 2008–09 NBA Rookie of the Year
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
voting behind Rookie of the Year winner Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
), O. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Zamalek SC of the Egyptian Basketball Super League (EBSL). He played a single season of college basketball for the USC Trojans while earnin ...
(Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
) and Brook Lopez
Brook Robert Lopez (born April 1, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played two years of college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal.
Lopez was selecte ...
(New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
). He was named to the NBA's NBA All-Rookie First Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...
.
In his second year, and first season as a full-time starter, Westbrook went on to average 16.1 points, 8.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on the season. On April 4, 2010, he recorded 10 points and a career-high 16 assists in a 116–108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. The Thunder made a huge turnaround by more than doubling their wins from the previous season and qualified for the playoffs with a 50–32 record. The Thunder were eliminated by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
in the first round. In the series, Westbrook stepped up his play from the regular season, averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.2 steals.
First All-Star, All-NBA and NBA finals appearances (2010–12)
On November 26, 2010, Westbrook scored a then-career-high 43 points against the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
. On December 1, 2010, he scored 38 points with 9 assists and achieved a new career-high of 15 rebounds in a triple-overtime win over the New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. Westbrook was selected by the NBA head coaches to be a Western Conference reserve for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. This was his first all-star appearance. Westbrook finished the season with averages of 21.9 points, 8.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
for the first time. The Thunder finished the season at 55–27 and lost to the eventual world champion Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
in the Western Conference Finals. Westbrook averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in the playoffs.
In the 2011–12 season, Westbrook was again selected by the coaches to participate in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. On March 23, 2012, he scored a career-high 45 points in a 149–140 double overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. He averaged 23.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals for the lockout-shortened season and was voted to the All-NBA Second Team for the second year in a row. Westbrook helped lead the Thunder to the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
for the first time since the franchise relocated but they would lose in five games to the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
. On June 12, in Game 1 of the Finals, Westbrook recorded 27 points and 11 assists in a 105–94 victory. He joined Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
as the only players with 25+ points and 10+ assists in their NBA Finals debut. In a Game 4 loss, Westbrook scored a playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
career-high 43 points.
Season-ending injury (2012–13)
Westbrook was once again selected for the NBA All-Star Game. He finished the 2012–13 season averaging 23.2 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. Westbrook helped lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs and the 1st seed in the Western Conference. They would go on to face the 8th seed Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in the first round. On April 25, 2013, in the second game of the series, Westbrook injured his right knee when Rockets guard Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley (born July 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks before spending three and a half ...
collided with him in an attempt to steal the ball. Although Westbrook was clearly bothered by the injury, he would continue playing and finished the game with 29 points. It was then revealed the next day that he had suffered a slight tear in his right meniscus
Meniscus may refer to:
*Meniscus (anatomy), crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that partly divides a joint cavity
*Meniscus (liquid)
The meniscus (plural: ''menisci'', from the Greek for "crescent") is the curve in the upper surface ...
. He had surgery on April 27, 2013, and was declared out for the rest of the playoffs. Without Westbrook, the Thunder defeated the Rockets in 6 games but fell to the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
in 5 games in the next round. Westbrook was named to the All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
for the third consecutive year.
Multiple surgeries and comeback (2013–15)
Prior to the start of the 2013–14 season, Westbrook had a second surgery on his right knee, which set back his return to basketball. Despite reports that he would miss the first two weeks of the regular season, Westbrook would miss only the first two games. On December 25, 2013, Westbrook recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as Oklahoma City beat the New York Knicks 123–94. This was just the eighth triple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
on Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
in NBA history. The win was also the largest margin of victory in a Christmas Day game in NBA history. On the day after his Christmas-day game, it was announced that Westbrook would undergo arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the ...
on his right knee and would be out until after the All-Star break. During this time, The Thunder were able to remain competitive despite his absence due mainly to Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
's stellar play. Westbrook returned to the lineup on February 20, 2014. He played the rest of the season on limited minutes and sat out the second night of back-to-backs.
On March 4, 2014, Westbrook recorded his second triple-double of the season. He recorded 13 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds, in just 20 minutes in a 125–92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. This was the second fastest recorded triple-double in NBA history. Westbrook and the Thunder finished with a 59–23 record earning the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals where they faced the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
. On May 27, 2014, in a Game 4 victory, Westbrook recorded 40 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals. In doing so, he joined Michael Jordan as the only other player to post those numbers in a playoff game. The Thunder lost the series to the eventual NBA champion Spurs in six games. Westbrook averaged 26.7 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in the postseason, and became the first player since Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...
in 1964 to average at least 26 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in the playoffs.
After scoring 38 points in a 106–89 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
in the 2014–15 season opener, Westbrook suffered a small fracture of the second metacarpal in his right hand the following game against the Los Angeles Clippers and subsequently missed 14 games with the injury. He joined Durant on the sidelines after Durant fractured his right foot during preseason and was ruled out for six to eight weeks. With the pair both inactive for the start of the season, the Thunder dropped to a 4–12 record prior to Westbrook's return on November 28 against the New York Knicks. In Westbrook's first game back, he led the Thunder to a win over the Knicks with 32 points. Durant returned the following game to face the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, as the pair helped the Thunder go on a seven-game winning streak to bring the Thunder back into playoff contention. On January 16, 2015, Westbrook recorded his ninth career triple-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and a career-high 17 assists in a 127–115 win over the Golden State Warriors, becoming just the fifth player in NBA history to record a stat line of 15–15–15 in a game.
After tying a career-high 45 points on February 4, 2015 in a 102–91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Westbrook broke that mark to score a new career-high of 48 points two days later, this time in a 116–113 loss to the Pelicans. After being injured the previous year, Westbrook returned to the All-Star game in 2015. He tallied 41 points, and was named the All-Star MVP. He scored 27 points in 11 minutes in the first half, setting an All-Star record for points in a half, and finished one point shy of the All-Star game record set by Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
(42) in 1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
. On February 22, Westbrook recorded 21 points and tied a career-high 17 assists in a 119–94 win over the Denver Nuggets. Two days later, he recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 105–92 win over the Indiana Pacers. In doing so he claimed his third triple-double of the season and 11th of his career despite resting for the entire fourth quarter. On February 27, in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook recorded 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to become the first player to have three straight triple-doubles since LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
did so in 2009. Westbrook finished the month of February averaging 31.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game, and became just the second player in NBA history to average 30 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists per game for a calendar month with at least 10 games played, joining Robertson, who accomplished the feat multiple times.
On March 4, Westbrook set career highs with 49 points and 16 rebounds, and added 10 assists for his fourth consecutive triple-double, helping the Thunder defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 123–118 in overtime. He subsequently became the first player since Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in 1989 to have four consecutive triple-doubles, and the first since Jordan that year to have back-to-back triple-doubles with at least 40 points. It was also the most points by any player with a triple-double since Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
also scored 49 in 1992. His streak came to an end the following night against the Chicago Bulls as he recorded 43 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a 105–108 loss. On March 8, he recorded his fifth triple-double in six games to help the Thunder defeat the Toronto Raptors, 108–104. He had 30 points, matched a career-high with 17 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds for his seventh triple-double of the season and 15th of his career. In much too similar fashion, Westbrook recorded yet another triple-double on March 13 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, collecting his sixth in eight games and scored 15 of his 29 points (with 12 assists and 10 rebounds) in the fourth quarter, helping the Thunder pull away for a 113–99 win. He went on to record three more triple-doubles to finish the season. On April 12, he scored a career-high 54 points on 21-of-43 shooting in a losing effort to the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
. He went on to help the Thunder win the final two games of the 2014–15 season, but it was not enough to position the Thunder in the playoffs, as they finished ninth in the West with a 45–37 record.
Second All-Star Game MVP and coming up short (2015–16)
To begin the 2015–16 season, Westbrook and Durant both dropped 40 points against the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
on October 30, becoming the first teammates in NBA history to do so multiple times, having previously done it in 2012. In December against Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, they became the first teammates to each have at least 25 points and 10 assists in a regulation game since 1996. On January 4, he was named Western Conference co-Player of the Month for December alongside Durant.
On January 20, 2016, Westbrook recorded 16 points, 15 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals against the Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
, becoming just the fourth player in NBA history with at least 15 points, 15 assists, five rebounds and five steals in a game. On February 3, he recorded his third straight triple-double and eighth of the season with 24 points, a career-high 19 rebounds and 14 assists in a 117–114 win over the Orlando Magic. Westbrook was voted to start in his first All-Star Game in 2016, and he earned his second MVP award after a 196–173 win by the West. He recorded 31 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals in 22 minutes, and became the first player in All-Star history to win consecutive MVPs outright. Bob Pettit
Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Mo ...
is the other player to have won two back-to-back awards, winning in 1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
and sharing it with Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lake ...
in 1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
. On March 9, he recorded his 11th triple-double of the season with 25 points, a career-high 20 assists and 11 rebounds in a 120–108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The stat line marked the NBA's first triple-double with at least 25 points, 20 assists and 10 rebounds since Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
did it for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988, and the first with at least 20 points and 20 assists since Rod Strickland
Rodney Strickland (born July 11, 1966) is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He is currently the head coach at Long Island University. Prior to LIU, he served as the program manager for the NBA G League's profe ...
did it for the Washington Wizards in 1998. On March 22, he recorded his 15th triple-double of the season and 34th of his career with 21 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds in a 111–107 win over the Houston Rockets, setting the most triple-doubles by a player in a season since 1988–89, when Magic Johnson had 17 and Michael Jordan had 15. It was also Westbrook's sixth triple-double in March, the most by a player in a calendar month since Jordan had seven in April 1989. On April 11, with his 18th triple-double of the season in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, he tied Magic Johnson (1981–82) for the most in a single season in the past 50 seasons.
In the playoffs, Westbrook helped guide the Thunder past the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, and then the San Antonio Spurs in the second round. In the Western Conference Finals, they faced the defending champion Golden State Warriors, and took home court advantage after stealing Game 1 of the series. With the series tied at 1–1 after Game 2, the Thunder returned home and took a 3–1 advantage with two home wins. In Game 4, Westbrook recorded his fifth career playoff triple-double with 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 118–94 win. Despite going up 3–1 in the series, the Thunder were defeated 4–3 by the Warriors to bow out of the playoffs.
MVP and first triple-double season (2016–17)
Following the off-season departure of Durant, trade speculation began swirling around Westbrook, with his contract set to expire in 2017. The Thunder were determined to keep Westbrook and held off all trade talks in order to work out an extension. On August 4, 2016, Westbrook signed a three-year, $85.7 million contract extension with the Thunder. He became the focal point of the team. In the Thunder's second game of 2016–17 on October 28, Westbrook recorded his 38th career regular season triple-double with 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113–110 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, marking the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran.
Given name Karim
* Karim A ...
had one in 1975. Westbrook also took a career-high 44 shots. Two days later, he recorded 33 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists in a 113–96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
, joining Robertson, Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
, and Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State, and 1960 gold medal Olympian and international player before later starring as a p ...
as the only players in NBA history with two triple-doubles in the first three games of a season. On November 30, he recorded his fourth straight triple-double with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 126–115 overtime win over the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
, becoming just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double heading into December (joining Robertson). He extended that streak to seven straight on December 9 with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 102–99 loss to the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
—the longest triple-double streak since Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
had seven straight in 1989.
Forty-one games into the season, Westbrook was averaging 30.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game, marking the latest anyone had averaged a triple-double since Robertson in 1966–67, when he became the first player to average a triple-double for an entire season (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists). On January 15, 2017, Westbrook had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 20th triple-double of the season, as he helped the Thunder defeat the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
122–118. He joined Robertson (five times) and Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
(twice) as the only players in NBA history to record 20 triple-doubles in a season. His 21st triple-double of the season came on January 18 in a loss to former teammate Durant and the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. On January 23, Westbrook hit a pull-up jumper with 1.4 seconds left to lift the Thunder to a 97–95 win over the Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. He finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his 22nd triple-double of the season and 59th for his career, tying Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
for fifth on the career list. Two days later, he had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 114–105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, thus passing Bird with his 60th career triple-double. Heading into All-Star Weekend, Westbrook was averaging 31.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists in 57 games. Westbrook went on to record three straight triple-doubles coming out of the All-Star break, giving him 67 for his career and 30 on the season.
On March 7, Westbrook's career-high 58 points was not enough to lift the Thunder over the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
, losing 126–121. His 31st triple-double of the season, which came on March 9 against the San Antonio Spurs, matched Wilt Chamberlain's 1967–68 campaign for the second-most in a season. He surpassed Chamberlain's record with his 32nd triple-double on March 11 against the Jazz. Westbrook went on to tie Robertson's single-season record of 41 triple-doubles on April 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
. Westbrook also moved into a tie with Chamberlain for fourth on the career list with his 78th triple-double. Three days later, he joined Robertson (who did it in 1961–62) as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, needing just six assists against the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
to clinch the triple-double average. His historic 42nd triple-double, to break Robertson's record of most triple-doubles in a season, came in a 106–105 away victory against the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
on April 9. Westbrook scored 18 of his 50 points in the last five minutes, including a 36-foot game-winning buzzer-beater, to overcome a 14-point deficit. He moved into fourth place for most triple-doubles in NBA history with 79, surpassing Chamberlain's 78. It was his third career 50-point triple-double, all of which came in 2016–17, the most by any player in NBA history. The Thunder finished the regular season with a 47–35 record and entered the playoffs as the 6th seed.
On April 19, in Game 2 of the Thunder's first-round playoff series against the Rockets, Westbrook had 51 points in the highest-scoring triple-double in playoff history. Westbrook set a franchise playoff scoring record and added 13 assists and 10 rebounds, marking his sixth career playoff triple-double. Despite his efforts, the Thunder lost 115–111 to go down 2–0 in the series. In Game 4 four days later, Westbrook had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, but could not lead the Thunder to a win, as they went down 3–1 in the series with a 113–109 loss. Westbrook joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to claim three consecutive playoff triple-doubles. With a loss to the Rockets in Game 5, the Thunder bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–1 series defeat. Westbrook had 47 points in Game 5 and came up just one assist shy of his fourth straight triple-double. On June 26, 2017, he was named the recipient of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
at the first-ever NBA Awards Show. He was the first winner from a team with fewer than 50 wins since Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A cent ...
in 1982.
Second triple-double season and playoff disappointment (2017–18)
On September 29, 2017, Westbrook signed a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Thunder. The deal starts with the 2018–19 season and delivers Westbrook the biggest guaranteed contract in NBA history—six seasons and $233 million through 2022–23. It includes a player option on the 2022–23 season. Continuing on from his historic 2016–17 season, Westbrook had a triple-double in the Thunder's season opener against the New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
on October 19. Playing alongside new All-Star teammates Paul George
Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a seven-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of th ...
and Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...
, Westbrook had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists in a 105–84 win. On October 28, he had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in a 101–69 win over the Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
, becoming the first player in league history to record a triple-double against 29 different opponents—Westbrook had recorded a triple-double against every NBA opponent except for the Bulls prior to October 28. On December 15, he recorded his 10th triple-double of the season with 27 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists in a 119–117 triple overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. After starting the season with an 8–12 record, the Thunder improved to 20–15 with a 124–107 win over the Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
on December 27. Westbrook had 30 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds against the Raptors, as the Thunder won their sixth straight game. Two days later, he recorded 40 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in a 97–95 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
. During the game, Westbrook scored his 16,000th career point, making him the 112th NBA player to do so.
On January 20, Westbrook had 23 and 20 assists in a 148–124 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. On January 25, he scored a season-high 46 points in a 121–112 win over the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
. On February 1, Westbrook had 21 assists, one shy of his career high, to go with 20 points and nine rebounds in a 127–124 loss to the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. On February 14, he recorded his 17th triple-double of the season with 23 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds in a 121–114 win over the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
. On March 13, he recorded 32 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds in a 119–107 win over the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to record 100 triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...
(181 triple-doubles), Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
(138) and Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards ...
(107). He became the third-fastest player to reach the milestone—Robertson needed 277 games, Johnson needed 656 games, and Westbrook needed 736 games. On April 3, he had 44 points and 16 rebounds in a 111–107 loss to the Warriors.
On April 9, Westbrook recorded his 25th triple-double of the season with 23 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists in a 115–93 win over the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
, thus clinching a playoff spot. Two days later, in the regular season finale against the Grizzlies, Westbrook clinched a triple-double average for the second straight season. He entered the night needing 16 rebounds to clinch the triple-double average. He pulled down his 16th rebound with just over nine minutes left in the third quarter and received a standing ovation. He finished with just six points, but had a career-high 20 rebounds and 19 assists. Westbrook finished as the league leader in assists, averaging 10.3 per game, and he was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In Game 5 of the Thunder's first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
, Westbrook scored 33 of his 45 points in the second half, as Oklahoma City rallied from 25 points down to fight off elimination and beat the Jazz 107–99. He also had 15 rebounds and seven assists. In Game 6, Westbrook scored 46 points in a 96–91 loss, as the Thunder bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–2 defeat.
Third triple-double season and final season in Oklahoma City (2018–19)
Westbrook missed the preseason and the first two regular season games after having a procedure in September 2018 to deal with inflammation in his right knee. In his season debut for the Thunder on October 21, Westbrook had 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes in a 131–120 loss to the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. On November 19, he returned to the line-up after missing five games with a left ankle sprain and had 29 points and 13 assists in a 117–113 loss to the Kings. On November 21, he recorded his first triple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
of the season with 11 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 123–95 win over the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. On November 28, he recorded his third triple-double of the season with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists in a 100–83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. He moved into a tie for third place on the NBA list for triple-doubles, with the 107th of his career matching Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards ...
's total. He moved into sole position of third on December 5, recording his 108th career triple-double with 21 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds in a 114–112 win over the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
. On December 28, he scored 40 points in a 118–102 win over the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. On December 31, he had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season in a 122–102 win over the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
. On January 10, he recorded a career-high 24 assists to go with 24 points and 13 rebounds in a 154–147 double-overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
.
On January 31, Westbrook received his eighth career All-Star selection by being named a Western Conference reserve. On February 5, he had his seventh straight triple-double with 16 points, 16 assists and 15 rebounds in a 132–122 win over the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. He matched the longest triple-double streak of his career with his 20th of the season and 124th overall. On February 7, he had 15 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds in a 117–95 win over the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, thus the longest triple-double streak of his career and sitting one short of Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
's NBA record of nine straight set in 1968. On February 9, in a 117–112 win over the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
, Westbrook had 21 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds to match Chamberlain's record streak. On February 11, Westbrook broke Chamberlain's record after tallying 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 120–111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
. On February 14, he recorded 44 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 131–122 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. In addition to increasing his triple-double streak, Westbrook surpassed Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with ...
(18,207 points) as the career scoring leader in franchise history. His streak of 11 consecutive games with a triple-double ended in the first game after the All-Star break, as he recorded 43 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in a 148–147 double-overtime win over the Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
.
On March 17, Westbrook was suspended for one game without pay for receiving his 16th technical foul of the season. On April 2, Westbrook had 20 points, 20 rebounds and 21 assists in a 119–103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
. He became the second player in NBA history to record 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists in a single game; the only other coming from Chamberlain in 1968. Westbrook also tied Chamberlain for second all time in 15-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist games with eight. On April 5, his performance of 19 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds in a 123–110 win against the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
ensured he would clinch his third consecutive season averaging a triple-double—the first time in NBA history. The game also secured his position as league leader in assists per game for the third consecutive season, achieved only by six other players in NBA history. In the Thunder's regular-season finale on April 10 against the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
, Westbrook posted his 34th triple-double of the season to reach 138 for his career, tying Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
for second place on the career triple-double list. The Thunder went on to lose in five games to the Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, with Westbrook recording two triple-doubles during the series. It was the third straight season they were eliminated in the first round.[
]
Houston Rockets (2019–2020)
On July 16, 2019, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
for All-Star Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
, two protected first-round picks, and two second-round pick swaps. The move reunited Westbrook with former teammate James Harden
James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA ...
; they both expressed mutual interest and enthusiasm in playing together at this stage in their careers. Harden spent his first three seasons in the league (2009–2012) on the Thunder with Westbrook, and prior to playing in Houston, they last played together in the 2012 NBA Finals
The 2012 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2011–12 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeated the Western Conference champion O ...
.
Westbrook made his Rockets debut in a 117–111 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
on October 24, 2019, leading the team with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in 33 minutes of play. He joins Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...
as the only Rockets players in franchise history to put up at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a season opener. In Westbrook's second game as a Rocket on October 26, 2019, he became second all time in career triple-doubles, passing Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
with a 28-point, 13-assist, and 10-rebound performance in a 126–123 win against the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. On December 7, 2019, Westbrook got his third consecutive triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists on 10-of-18 shooting after going 14-of-57 in the previous two games. In this game, he passed Tony Parker
William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket in LNB Pro A. Himself the son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career at Paris Basket Racing in ...
for 18th in the NBA all-time career assists list. On January 3, 2020, Westbrook became the third player in NBA history with 19,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, and 7,000 assists after a 20-point, 7-rebound, and 4-assist performance.
On January 9, 2020, Westbrook made his return to Oklahoma City for the first time as a visitor, getting 34 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists on 14-of-26 shooting from the field in the 113–92 loss. With his triple-double against Oklahoma City on January 20, he joined LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
as the only two players to have logged triple-doubles against all 30 NBA teams. On January 24, Westbrook scored a season-high 45 points on 16-of-27 shooting from the field, along with 10 assists and 6 rebounds, in a 131–124 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. In February, he had 33.4 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 6 assists per game in addition to 54.9% field goal shooting and 40% three-point shooting. In that stretch, the Rockets went 7–1.
The suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season
On March 11, 2020, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the suspension of the 2019–20 season following Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19, which occurred around the same time as COVID-19 lockdowns began ...
began in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Uni ...
. In July, Westbrook tested positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. He recovered and was able to join his team later that month in Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, for the league's restart. In their third game back, Westbrook strained his right quad and missed four of the five remaining regular season games. In the playoffs, he missed the first four games of the opening series against Oklahoma City, which was tied 2–2. He helped Houston advance to the semifinals, where they were eliminated 4–1 by the Lakers. In his eight playoff games, Westbrook averaged 17.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, the worst of his postseason career.
Washington Wizards (2020–2021)
Fourth triple-double season and career triple-doubles record (2020–21)
On December 2, 2020, amidst rumors that he and Harden were unhappy and wanted out from the Rockets, Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
for John Wall
Johnathan Hildred Wall Jr. (born September 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A Raleigh, North Carolina native, Wall was chosen with the List of firs ...
and a 2023 lottery-protected first-round draft pick. On December 23, Westbrook made his Wizards debut, putting up 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists in a 113–107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. He became the sixth player in NBA history to record a triple-double in a team debut, joining Elfrid Payton, Lewis Lloyd, John Shumate
John Henry Shumate (born April 6, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
Shumate grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and played high school basketball at Thomas Jefferson High School.
A 6'9" forward/center from the ...
, Nate Thurmond
Nathaniel Thurmond (July 25, 1941 – July 16, 2016) was an American basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He played the center and po ...
, and Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...
. He was not named to the 2021 All-Star Game, missing it for the first time since 2014.[ On March 30, 2021, Westbrook became the first player since ]Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
in 1988 to record a 30–10–20 triple double with 35 points, a then season-high 21 assists, and 14 rebounds in a 132–124 win over the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
. His 16th triple double in his 38th game with the Wizards, Westbrook broke Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker (born March 9, 1961) is an American college basketball coach and retired professional player. He is currently head men's coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. At 6'4" (1.93 m) and 180 lb (82 kg), he played as ...
's franchise record for career triple-doubles,[ which had stood for 30 years.] Westbrook needed only three months with the Wizards and 245 fewer games than Walker, who played three seasons with Washington (1988–1991).[ Westbrook also tied Robertson as the only players with five seasons of at least 15 triple doubles.][
On April 17, Westbrook had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in a win against the ]Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
for his 25th triple-double of the season, becoming the first NBA player with at least 25 triple-doubles each in four separate seasons; he also became the first in league history to amass 15 triple-doubles over a 20-game span. Westbrook ended the month with an NBA record 14 triple-doubles (in 17 games), breaking the mark of 11 set by Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
in 1968. With his performances in March and April, Westbrook became the first player to record at least 300 points, 150 assists, and 150 rebounds in consecutive months since Chamberlain in 1968.[ His play coincided with the Wizards going 12–2 to finish April after falling to a season-low 15 games under .500 on April 5.
On May 4, Westbrook clinched his fourth season averaging a triple-double after tallying 14 points, a career-high 21 rebounds, and a new season-high 24 assists in a 154–141 win against the Pacers.] On May 8, he put up 33 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists in a 133–132 overtime win against the Pacers, notching his 181st career-triple-double to tie Robertson's record for the most career triple-doubles in NBA history. On May 10, he put up 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 21 assists in a 125–124 loss against the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
for his 182nd career triple-double to pass Robertson for the most in NBA history; Westbrook also joined Robertson, LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
, and Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with ...
as the only four players in league history with at least 20,000 points and 8,000 assists.[ On May 15, in a 120–105 win over the ]Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
in which Westbrook recorded another triple double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 17 assists, the Wizards completed their comeback from 17–32 to 33–38 and clinched a play-in spot.
On May 16, in a 115–110 win over the Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
, the Wizards finished the season with a 34–38 record and were seeded 8th to face the 7th seeded Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in the play-in thanks to a 17–6 record over the last six weeks. With Westbrook posting a triple double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, he captured his third NBA assist title, averaging a career-high 11.7 assists per game. He also averaged 22.2 points on 43.9% shooting and a career-high 11.5 rebounds; the Wizards finished with a 23–15 record when Westbrook recorded a triple-double. After a 118–100 loss to the Celtics for the No. 7 spot in the play-in tournament, Westbrook alongside Bradley Beal
Bradley Emmanuel Beal Sr. (born June 28, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators before being selected by ...
led the Wizards to a blowout win 142–115 over the Pacers to clinch the last the playoffs spot and Wizards' first playoff appearance since 2018; it was Westbrook's sixth straight season in the playoffs. Despite averaging a triple-double with 19.0 points, 11.8 assists, and 10.5 rebounds per game, the Wizards lost to the top seeded 76ers in five games in the first round.
Los Angeles Lakers (2021–present)
On August 6, 2021, Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Tannell Caldwell-Pope (; born February 18, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named a McDonald's All-American as one of the top high school b ...
, Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Alexander Kuzma (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Utah Utes and was named first-team all-confere ...
, Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Dashay Harrell (; (born January 26, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. Harrell received t ...
and the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson
Isaiah Allen Jackson (born 22 January 1945) is an American conductor who served a seven-year term as conductor of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, of which he has been named Conductor Emeritus. He was the first African-American to be a ...
, the third time he was traded and his fourth team in three years.[ On October 19, Westbrook made his Lakers debut, putting up eight points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, five rebounds, and three assists in a 121–114 loss to the ]Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. On October 27, Westbrook put up 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 123–115 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
and joined LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
, Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards ...
, and Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...
as the only players in NBA history to record at least 7,000 career rebounds and 7,000 career assists.
As his first season with the Lakers progressed, Westbrook received criticism for his perceived poor quality of play. Westbrook was criticized following a 4-for-20 shooting performance in a 122–115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
on Christmas Day. The Lakers had a 21–20 record at the halfway point of the regular season and Westbrook was often a recipient of the blame for the team's struggles relative to its 2020 championship season. Westbrook shot 30 percent from the three-point line and turned the ball over 4.6 times per game through early January, and he received criticism for a particular game against the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
where he turned the ball over nine times. Westbrook later responded to critics, saying that they were only looking at the stat sheet and not his overall play on the court.
On January 4, 2022, in a 122–114 win over the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
, Westbrook had his first game without turnovers since March 14, 2016. In January 19, he was benched by Lakers head coach Frank Vogel
Frank Paul Vogel (born June 21, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach. He previously served as the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Vogel also previ ...
in the final four minutes of a home loss against the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
. On January 29, in a 114–117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
, he scored 35 points, of which 30 in the second half (16 points in the fourth quarter from a 20-point deficit) were the most by any Laker since Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
's last game on April 13, 2016. For the third time in his career and the first since 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, Westbrook missed the playoffs after a 110–121 loss to the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. Following Vogel's firing after the season, Westbrook said, "I'm not sure what his issue was with me." The coach had kept him in the starting lineup all season despite pressure to bring him off the bench.[ Westbrook attended new head coach ]Darvin Ham
Darvin Ham Sr. (born July 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Tech R ...
's introductory press conference, where the coach said "Russell Westbrook is one of the best players our league has ever seen, and there's still a ton left in the tank." He said a common theme of their meetings was "sacrifice". Westbrook opted in to the final year of his contract for 2022–23, valued at $47 million.
After severing ties with his agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman, in July 2022, Westbrook signed Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports for his representation on August 1, 2022. During the offseason, the Lakers acquired point guards Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley (born July 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks before spending three and a half ...
and Dennis Schröder
Dennis Schröder (; born September 15, 1993) is a German professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for SG Braunschweig and Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany, befo ...
. On October 28, Westbrook came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season and chipped in with 18 points and 8 rebounds in a 111–102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. He passed Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,61 ...
for 29th on the all-time scoring list with 23,335 points on a second-quarter free throw. On December 9, Westbrook recorded his first career triple-double off the bench with 12 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals in a 133–122 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. He became only the second Laker with a triple-double off the bench after Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
. On December 16, Westbrook put up a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists off the bench in a 128–106 win over the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. He also became the first player in Lakers history to put up multiple triple-doubles off the bench.
National team career
In 2010, he was selected to the FIBA World Championship team in Istanbul, Turkey. On a team without a single member from its 2008 Olympic gold-medal team, Westbrook was considered a star on the team. The 2010 team relied heavily on a small lineup, and Westbrook finished in the top five on the team in minutes per game, and top three in points and assists per game. Team USA went 9–0 to win its first World Championship since 1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. The win automatically qualified Team USA for the 2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in London, and they overtook Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
for the No. 1 world ranking
A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second.
In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
.
Westbrook was also selected to play for the 2012 Summer Olympic team in London, where he won a second gold medal. He declined an invitation to join the 2016 Olympic team.
Player profile
Standing at tall and weighing , Westbrook is a point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
who has established himself as one of the most athletic players in NBA history. He is also widely known for playing at a high level of intensity and for being able to keep that intensity for the majority of his playing time. Westbrook will often look to push the pace of the game for transition points and attack the basket. Though attacking the rim is his forte, he will frequently pull up for medium-range jump shots. He regularly creates good scoring opportunities for his teammates, resulting in him averaging over eight assists per game for his career.
Westbrook is widely recognized as one of the best all-around players in the NBA. , his 182 regular season triple-doubles are the most in NBA history, and his 10 playoff triple-doubles are tied for fourth-most all time. He has the most rebounds in NBA history among guards who are 6'3" or shorter.
Westbrook's three-point shooting and turnovers are often brought to attention when pundits criticize his game. He averages 30% on three-point field goal attempts and 3.9 turnovers a game for his career. He has the worst career three-point percentage in NBA history of players who have more than 2,500 three-point attempts. He has also in the past been criticized for his "single-mindedness" and for being difficult to cooperate with.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 65 , , 32.5 , , .398 , , .271 , , .815 , , 4.9 , , 5.3 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 15.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 34.3 , , .418 , , .221 , , .780 , , 4.9 , , 8.0 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 16.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 34.7 , , .442 , , .330 , , .842 , , 4.6 , , 8.2 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , 21.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 66* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 66* , , 35.3 , , .457 , , .316 , , .823 , , 4.6 , , 5.5 , , 1.7 , , .3 , , 23.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 34.9 , , .438 , , .323 , , .800 , , 5.2 , , 7.4 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 23.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 46 , , 46 , , 30.7 , , .437 , , .318 , , .826 , , 5.7 , , 6.9 , , 1.9 , , .2 , , 21.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 67 , , 67 , , 34.4 , , .426 , , .299 , , .835 , , 7.3 , , 8.6 , , 2.1 , , .2 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 28.1*
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 80 , , 80 , , 34.4 , , .454 , , .296 , , .812 , , 7.8 , , 10.4 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , 23.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 34.6 , , .425 , , .343 , , .845 , , 10.7 , , 10.4 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 31.6*
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 80 , , 80 , , 36.4 , , .449 , , .298 , , .737 , , 10.1 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 10.3* , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 25.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 73 , , 73 , , 36.0 , , .428 , , .290 , , .656 , , 11.1 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 10.7* , , 1.9 , , .5 , , 22.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 57 , , 57 , , 35.9 , , .472 , , .258 , , .763 , , 7.9 , , 7.0 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 27.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, 65 , , 65 , , 36.4 , , .439 , , .315 , , .656 , , 11.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.7* , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 22.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
, 78 , , 78 , , 34.3 , , .444 , , .298 , , .667 , , 7.4 , , 7.1 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 18.5
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 1,021 , , 1,004 , , 34.7 , , .438 , , .305 , , .783 , , 7.4 , , 8.4 , , 1.7 , , .3 , , 22.8
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 9 , , 2 , , 22.4 , , .506 , , .338 , , .588 , , 5.2 , , 3.8 , , 1.4 , , .0 , , 21.6
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 35.3 , , .473 , , .417 , , .842 , , 6.0 , , 6.0 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 20.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 17 , , 17 , , 37.5 , , .394 , , .292 , , .852 , , 5.4 , , 6.4 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 23.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 20 , , 20 , , 38.4 , , .435 , , .277 , , .802 , , 5.5 , , 5.8 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 23.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 34.0 , , .415 , , .222 , , .857 , , 6.5 , , 7.0 , , 3.0 , , .0 , , 24.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 19 , , 19 , , 38.7 , , .420 , , .280 , , .884 , , 7.3 , , 8.1 , , 2.2 , , .3 , , 26.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 37.4 , , .405 , , .324 , , .829 , , 6.9 , , 11.0 , , 2.6 , , .1 , , 26.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 38.8 , , .388 , , .265 , , .800 , , 11.6 , , 10.8 , , 2.4 , , .4 , , 37.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 39.2 , , .398 , , .357 , , .825 , , 12.0 , , 7.5 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 29.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, style="text-align:left;", Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 39.4 , , .360 , , .324 , , .885 , , 8.8 , , 10.6 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 22.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, style="text-align:left;", Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 8 , , 8 , , 32.8 , , .421 , , .242 , , .532 , , 7.0 , , 4.6 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 17.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, style="text-align:left;", Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 37.2 , , .333 , , .250 , , .791 , , 10.4 , , 11.8 , , .4 , , .2 , , 19.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 111 , , 111 , , 37.5 , , .408 , , .296 , , .827 , , 7.1 , , 7.9 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 24.6
College
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2006–07
, style="text-align:left;", UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, 36 , , 1 , , 9.0 , , .457 , , .409 , , .548 , , .8 , , .7 , , .4 , , .0 , , 3.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2007–08
, style="text-align:left;", UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, 39 , , 34 , , 33.8 , , .465 , , .338 , , .713 , , 3.9 , , 4.3 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , 12.7
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 75 , , 35 , , 21.9 , , .464 , , .354 , , .685 , , 2.4 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 8.3
Awards and honors
NBA
* NBA Most Valuable Player (2017)
* 9× NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...
(2011–2013, 2015–2020)
* 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP
The NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to de ...
(2015, 2016)
* 2× All-NBA First Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
(2016, 2017)
* 5× All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
(2011–2013, 2015, 2018)
* 2× All-NBA Third Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
(2019, 2020)
* 2× NBA scoring champion
In basketball, Point (basketball), points are accumulated through free throws or Field goal (basketball), field goals. The National Basketball Association's (NBA) scoring title is awarded to the player with the highest points per game average in ...
(2015, 2017)
* 3× NBA assists leader (2018, 2019, 2021)
* NBA All-Rookie
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...
First Team (2009)
* NBA 75th Anniversary Team
College
* 2008 All-Pac-10 Third Team
* 2008 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
* 2008 Pac-10 All-Tournament Team
* 2008 Pac-10 All-Defensive Team
* 2008 CollegeInsider.com All-Defensive Team
High school
* First-team All-CIF Division I
* Third-team All-State
* 2× Most Valuable Player of the Bay League
Business interests
Endorsements
In October 2012, Westbrook signed with the Jordan Brand
Air Jordan is an American brand of basketball shoes produced by American corporation Nike. The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for Hall of Fame former basketball player Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls in late 1984 and ...
. His first commercial was with the Jordan Brand and Champs in which a high school athlete purchased Jordan gear from Champs and transformed into Westbrook and won a state championship. In 2017, Westbrook signed a 10-year extension with Jordan Brand that gave him the largest total endorsement deal of any athlete sponsored by the brand.
In November 2013, Westbrook signed with Kings and Jaxs Boxer Briefs. He stated: "I have always loved fashion so working with Kings & Jaxs was a natural fit as we both have a fearless and creative approach to style." He signed with PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manuf ...
to become the global face of Mountain Dew Kickstart.
Fashion
In 2015, Westbrook was named Marketing Creative Director of the denim brand True Religion. In 2016, he launched the unisex streetwear brand Honor the Gift, which pays tribute to his years growing up in Hawthorne and Los Angeles.[
]
Film
Westbrook made his production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
debut with ''Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre'' about the Tulsa race massacre
The Tulsa race massacre, also known as the Tulsa race riot or the Black Wall Street massacre, was a two-day-long massacre that took place between May 31 – June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as deput ...
,[ which was inspired by his time playing in Oklahoma City. It received three ]Primetime Emmy
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime E ...
nominations in 2021. He produced the short film ''Why Not?'' in a collaboration with Jordan Brand. He also produced his autobiographical documentary, ''Passion Play: Russell Westbrook'', which debuted on Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
in 2021.
Personal life
Westbrook and his wife have three children: one son and twin daughters.
Westbrook wears a "KB3" wristband and has "KB3" on his sneakers in honor of his childhood friend Khelcey Barrs III. In 2012, he started the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, which promotes community-based education and family service programs while pushing youngsters to be self-confident.
Publications
*
See also
* List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
This article provides two lists:
:A list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season assists recorded
:Progressive assist leaders list
Assist leaders
This is a list of National Basketball Association players by tota ...
* List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
This article contains two charts: The first chart is a list of the top 50 all-time scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The list includes only points scored in regular season games. The second chart is a progressi ...
*
*
*
* List of NBA triple-double leaders
*
References
External links
NBA.com profile
UCLA Bruins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westbrook, Russell
1988 births
Living people
2010 FIBA World Championship players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
African-American basketball players
African-American Christians
American men's basketball players
Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Long Beach, California
FIBA World Championship-winning players
Houston Rockets players
Los Angeles Lakers players
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
National Basketball Association All-Stars
Oklahoma City Thunder players
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball
Point guards
Seattle SuperSonics draft picks
Sportspeople from Los Angeles County, California
UCLA Bruins men's basketball players
United States men's national basketball team players
Washington Wizards players
20th-century African-American people