Westbrook vs Chris Paul
Russell Westbrook: Nine-time All-Star, MVP, and all-time triple-double leader.
Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who has played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Known for his agility, intensity and explosiveness, he is considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. Westbrook is a nine-time NBA All-Star and earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the 2016–17 season. He is also a nine-time All-NBA Team member; a two-time NBA scoring leader, having led the league in 2014–15 and 2016–17; a three-time NBA assists leader; and a back-to-back NBA All-Star Game MVP. Westbrook is one of three players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, a feat he achieved four times and is the all-time NBA leader in career triple-doubles. He also holds the record for the most career rebounds by a guard. In 2021, Westbrook was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Quick Facts
- Primary era
- 2008–2020 (separate Thunder tenures)
- Separation event
- July 2019 trade (Westbrook to Rockets) and November 2020 trade (Paul to Suns)
Lore & Background
Westbrook played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and earned third-team all-conference honors in the Pac-10. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma City that same week. Westbrook played for the Thunder for 11 seasons and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer. He appeared in the NBA Finals as a member of the Thunder in 2012, losing to the Miami Heat.
In 2019, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets, playing one season for the organization before being traded again to the Washington Wizards in 2020. After a season in Washington, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021. Following two relatively disappointing seasons there, he was traded to and bought out by the Utah Jazz before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers later in the 2022–23 season. In the summer of 2024, he was again traded to the Utah Jazz and waived preceding his signing with the Denver Nuggets for the 2024–25 season, followed by his signing with the Sacramento Kings for the 2025–26 season. Following the 2026 season, Westbrook retired, concluding his 18 year career.
Reader's Guide
Westbrook represented the United States national team twice, winning gold medals on their 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2012 Olympic teams. He is known for his intensity and explosiveness on the court.
Did You Know?
- Westbrook wore number 0 throughout his college and most of his NBA career because his preferred number 4 was already taken.
- His best friend Khelcey Barrs III died at age 16 from an enlarged heart; Westbrook wears a 'KB3' wristband in his memory.
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