Russell Westbrook called it a career last week with one of the best retirement videos I have ever seen. For me, it is instantly top three, right there with Kobe and D-Rose. Which makes perfect sense, because those have pretty much been my three favorite players for most of my life. Well, outside of Carmelo Anthony, the one TRUE Melo, and Tracy McGrady. Russ’s retirement brought up a flood of different thoughts and emotions for me. That feels fitting because Russ was always an emotional player himself. He was the poster child for wearing your heart on your sleeve. You knew how he felt. Sometimes he would tell you directly in a postgame interview. Other times, he told you through how he played. You also always knew how “Brodie” felt about himself. If there was one thing he had in abundance, it was self-confidence and swag. That Southern California, LA-boy force was strong in this Skywalker from day one. And even after 18 seasons, it is still a little sad knowing this Jedi never got the ultimate prize: a championship. But that is not what bothers me the most about the way his career is ending. The last few years turned Russ into a “sixth man/vet minimum” conversation for a lot of people. And because that is how sports fans work, I worry people are going to remember the last chapter more than the entire book. That would be a mistake. Russ should be remembered as the guy who broke Oscar Robertson’s supposedly unbreakable single-season triple-double record. He put up 42 triple-doubles in 2016-17, won league MVP, and averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists while dragging an Oklahoma City team to 47 wins after KD left town. Call it the Revenge MVP. Because that is exactly what it felt like. He should be remembered as the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader with 209, passing Oscar’s record that had stood since the early 1960s. And he should be remembered for doing what only Oscar had done before him: averaging a triple-double over a full season. Then he did it again. And again. And again. Four times total, three times in OKC and once in Washington. That is not normal. I know the counterargument already. “He stat padded.” “He chased rebounds.” “He cared more about the numbers than winning.” “He was why teams lost as much as he was why they won.” Some of that criticism is fair. Russ was not perfect. He could be reckless. He could be frustrating. He could make you yell at the television, then immediately do something so ridiculous that you forgot why you were mad in the first place. But Russ’s flaws should not erase what he was. He was one of the most explosive, intense, relentless guards we have ever seen. His numbers were not empty because his impact never was. Now the conversations will begin. Is he a top-five point guard ever? Where does he rank? Was he better than this guy? Could he have won if he played differently? Honestly, I do not care that much. Russell Westbrook is already on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, one of 37 MVP winners in league history, and the greatest triple-double player the game has ever seen. That is enough for me. And, as a 33-year-old NBA fan, watching another player I grew up with walk away from the game feels strange. Russ is only 37. That is not old in real life. But when you have watched basketball long enough, you start seeing players who felt permanent get called veterans, then role players, then “out of the league.” And then one day, they are gone. So yeah, maybe Russ did not get the ring. Maybe his final years did not look like his prime. But please do not let that be the whole story. He gave us too much for that. Enjoy retirement, Russ! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mimssports.substack.com
