In the latest bit of news that will make you feel old, Russell Westbrook has retired from professional basketball. I can still vividly remember the night he was drafted by the then-Seattle Supersonics. Like so many others, I had no idea who he was. Fast forward 18 years, we are now thinking of ways to pay tribute to one of Oklahoma City’s most beloved athletes, and people, of all time.
His career had its ups and downs — mostly ups in his time with the Thunder. The most notable among them being the time he could have bolted for greener pastures after Kevin Durant left, only to sign an extension and keep the team relevant in 2016. That next season was peak Russ: He averaged a triple double, a feat many thought could never be repeated after Oscar Robertson did it in the 1960s. (Westbrook achieved the statistical milestone four times total.)
The 2016-2017 performance earned him the most valuable player award and cemented him as an all-time great in the sport. Around that time, just about every Thunder fan would have run through a wall for the guy, and only his tumultuous relationship with local sports reporters — columnist Berry Tramel, in particular — hurt his reputation much. To many people, in fact, his beef with Berry offered an amusing critique of post-game press conferences and the fickle sports media world.
One thing is for sure: Whoever casts the Russell Westbrook statue inevitably slated for OKC’s new arena, it will require good execution.
Excitingly, Westbrook has joined an investment group that is bringing professional soccer to a larger stage in OKC, which will be on full display once the downtown MAPS stadium and entertainment district is complete. So as we say goodbye to all he gave us on the basketball court, hopefully the news of his retirement is really a rebirth that means more Russ in the city.
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