Russell Westbrook is getting a hometown sendoff from Los Angeles, with the city preparing to honor the former NBA superstar for his remarkable basketball career and community work.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Heather Hutt of District 10 will present Westbrook with a Council certificate on Friday at City Hall, recognizing his retirement from professional basketball and his continued efforts to empower young people and underserved communities.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. local time.
For Westbrook, the recognition comes after an 18-season NBA career that established him as one of the league’s most statistically distinctive players. He made nine All-NBA teams, won two scoring titles and led the league in assists three times.
His most defining achievement, however, came in the triple-double department.
Westbrook finished his career as the NBA’s all-time regular-season leader in triple-doubles with 209, passing Oscar Robertson’s previous record of 181 on May 10, 2021. Between 2016 and 2021, he averaged a triple-double in four of five seasons.
The Los Angeles native also took his game across several NBA stops, playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. He also returned home to play for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
But his impact in Los Angeles extends beyond basketball.
Westbrook founded the Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, which focuses on creating opportunities for underserved communities through education, workforce development and access to mental health resources.
Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA on social media in August, reflecting on the end of a career that had already produced one of the league’s most decorated statistical résumés.
“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end,” Westbrook wrote. “You had to be there. And now it’s over.”
According to ESPN, Westbrook had received offseason offers from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards before choosing to leave professional basketball.
His former Oklahoma City teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also credited Westbrook with helping establish the foundation for what the Thunder became.
“He’s as dynamic as they come in terms of an NBA player, personality, and teammate,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Westbrook was the whole package and laid the foundation we stand on now.”
For a player who built his legacy through explosive performances, triple-doubles and an unmistakable intensity, Westbrook’s next spotlight will come in a very different setting: Los Angeles City Hall.
