Subscribe
Follow Us
Russell Westbrook just completed another solid season to his already decorated NBA career with the Denver Nuggets. Already nearing 37 years old, it wasn't surprising that there was speculation of his retirement until the onetime NBA MVP himself squashed those rumors with his post on social media.
And while he will undergo hand surgery, it looks like Westbrook will be looking to extend his playing career, and it might not even be in the NBA. Recently, Westbrook opted out of his contract with the Nuggets and will be a free agent. Nonetheless, whether we've seen the last of Westbrook or not, no one can deny his impact on the court. Here is a ranking of Russell Westbrook's 10 greatest accomplishments.
Check out the gallery.
1. Russell Westbrook wins 2017 NBA MVP
The biggest accomplishment in Westbrook's career has to be his 2016-17 NBA MVP season, when he became just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double. During that year, he posted a career-high and league-leading 31.6 points per game to go along with 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. Westbrook also set the record for most triple-doubles in a season with 42.
2. Russell Westbrook averages a triple-double four times
Westbrook's MVP season saw him make history by becoming the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season. However, the 2017 NBA MVP wasn't finished. Westbrook went on to average a triple-double for three consecutive seasons before adding another one during the 2020-21 season. To this day, Westbrook remains as the only player to achieve the feat four times.
3. Russell Westbrook has most triple-doubles in NBA history
Speaking of triple-doubles, Westbrook currently leads the NBA all time in triple-doubles. In his 17-year NBA career, the nine-time NBA All-Star accumulated a total of 203 triple-doubles to take the pole position. The other players in the top five include Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and former teammates LeBron James and Nikola Jokic. Robertson is currently second with 181.
4. Russell Westbrook's 58-point masterpiece
While Westbrook made his living out of triple-doubles, he's also capable of taking over games as a scorer. During his MVP season, Westbrook netted a career-high 58 points in a 126-121 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. He shot 21-of-39 from the field overall to tie the franchise record for most points in a single game by a Thunder player. Fred Brown was the first player to score 58 points for the then Seattle SuperSonics back in the 1973-74 season.
5. Russell Westbrook has career-high 24 assists twice
Although Westbrook is regarded as a score-first guard, that doesn't mean he isn't capable of setting the table for his teammates. In fact, his career high in assists was at 24, and he did it twice. He first achieved this tally in a 154-147 loss against the San Antonio Spurs in a Thunder uniform, posting 24 points, 24 assists, and 13 rebounds.
Two years later, Westbrook posted the same number of assists to tie the Washington Wizards franchise record, finishing with 14 points, 24 assists, and 21 rebounds in a 154-141 win over the Indiana Pacers.
6. Russell Westbrook's 20-20-20 game
Registering a triple-double is already hard in itself. However, Westbrook took it to a whole new level when he finished a game with a 20-20-20 stat line. In a 119-103 blowout victory over the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018-19 season, Westbrook put up 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 21 assists.
He became the first NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain to have a 20-20-20 game. Only three NBA players have achieved the feat. Aside from Westbrook and Chamberlain, the third player to do so was former Nuggets teammate Nikola Jokic.
7. Russell Westbrook has multiple scoring and assist titles
As a stellar all-around player, NBA fans will have to wait for another player to surpass a player like Westbrook. While other players have led the NBA in scoring and assists, he certainly pushed the boundaries. To this day, the onetime NBA MVP is currently the only player to have multiple titles in both scoring and assists. Westbrook led the NBA in scoring twice in 2015 and 2017. On the other hand, he was also an assists leader three times in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
8. Russell Westbrook is Thunder's all-time leader in points
Throughout the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Seattle Supersonics franchise, there have been plenty of NBA legends who've suited up. The special list includes Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But among the legends, Westbrook is the No. 1 all-time franchise leader in scoring. In an Oklahoma City uniform, Westbrook scored a total of 18,859 points.
9. Russell Westbrook shares triple-double history with Nikola Jokic
Westbrook was past his prime when he joined the Denver Nuggets for the 2024-25 season. Nonetheless, that didn't stop him from making history alongside three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The team-up saw two triple-double machines make history together by becoming the first pair of teammates to register triple-doubles in the same game multiple times in the same season.
10. Russell Westbrook wins back-to-back All-Star Game MVPs
In Westbrook's career thus far, he made a total of nine NBA All-Star Game appearances. To make matters more interesting, he also collected a pair of All-Star Game MVP Awards, becoming only the second player to do it in back-to-back fashion. Westbrook was crowned All-Star Game MVP in 2015 and 2016, joining Bob Pettit as the only pair of players in league history to win the award twice in a row.
