Russell Westbrook announces NBA retirement after 18 seasons

LOS ANGELES - Following 18 seasons in the NBA, Russell Westbrook officially announced his retirement on Wednesday. 

What we know:

The announcement by the 2016-17 league MVP was made in a social media post on X with a video narrated by Oscar Award-winning actor, Michael B. Jordan. 

"Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it's over," Westbrook wrote. 

The backstory:

The two-time NBA scoring champion attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale.

In a 2015 interview with Bleacher Report, he explained he never thought he’d make it to the big leagues. "A lot of people who are in the NBA now have been good since they were eight. I wasn’t good until I was 17," he said.

One day, Ben Howland who coached at UCLA at the time, decided to stop by Westbrook's high school gym after hearing about him. Howland liked what he saw not only on the court but also his leadership skills. From there, the rest is history.  

Westbrook played for the Bruins for two seasons and was selected as the fourth overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008 NBA Draft. His career got off to a remarkable time and he earned the league MVP award in his fourth season. 

He also had tenures in Houston, Washington D.C., both LA teams, and Denver. The 37-year-old last played for the Sacramento Kings. 

Dig deeper:

While Westbrook is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, "Mr. Triple-Double" has stated that he ultimately wants to be remembered for his philanthropic efforts. A style icon who never forgot his roots, Westbrook founded the Why Not? Foundation and has dedicated over a decade to empowering the South Los Angeles community.

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