Russell Westbrook’s No. 0 is headed to the rafters in Oklahoma City. The Thunder will retire the former MVP’s jersey on Sunday, Feb. 7, when they host the New York Knicks at Paycom Center.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the news on X on Monday, and the Thunder confirmed it in an official team announcement the same day. General manager Sam Presti shared the date at a luncheon at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, according to The Oklahoman. USA Today’s Thunder Wire reported the game will be part of NBC’s Sunday night basketball slate.
Westbrook’s number will be only the second retired by the Thunder franchise, the team said. The honor comes just months after he announced his retirement in August, ending an 18-season NBA career, 11 of which were spent with the Thunder.
His numbers in Oklahoma City are hard to match. The team said Westbrook retired as the franchise leader in games played (821), points (18,859), rebounds (5,760), assists (6,897) and steals (1,442). He won the 2016-17 MVP award after averaging a triple-double for the entire season, setting an NBA record with 42 triple-doubles that year. His 209 career triple-doubles are the most in league history.
Westbrook was a nine-time All-Star and a two-time scoring champion, and he was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. During his years in Oklahoma City, the Thunder reached the 2012 NBA Finals and made four trips to the Western Conference finals, according to the team.
In a statement, Thunder chairman Clayton Bennett said the team is “incredibly proud to retire Russell’s number,” adding that his impact in the community has lasted long after his time with the team. Presti called Westbrook’s mindset “relentless” and said Oklahomans consider him one of their own.
The team said more details about the ceremony will be released later.
Sources: ESPN’s Shams Charania (on X), the Oklahoma City Thunder’s official announcement, The Oklahoman, CBS Sports and USA Today’s Thunder Wire.
Photo: “Sunset on the Hoop,” Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 public domain dedication. Generic image; not a photo of the player or team.
