Nine-time All-Star, 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook announces retirement

Russell Westbrook: Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.

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Russell Westbrook is not known to be in advanced negotiations with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The report suggesting otherwise was a social media hoax. The false claim originated with an X account presenting itself as basketball reporter “Marc Jacobs.” The account asserted that Westbrook and Hapoel had mutual interest, that negotiations were progressing and that the former MVP was seriously considering playing overseas. It attributed the information to The Athletic, but no corresponding report from the outlet supported those claims. Journalist Philip Lewis subsequently identified the purported source as a parody account. — 8/12/2026 New York Post

NBA Courtside: Channing Frye says Steve Nash is a better overall player than Russell Westbrook: “Russell Westbrook is the most,top two most athletic guard ever to play basketball though. But, Steve Nash is a 50-40-90 guy. Where Russell has just God-given ability and motor that no one’s ever seen ever before. So, Steve Nash is my guy. So, yes, Steve Nash is better than Russell Westbrook.” (Via @RoadTrippinShow) — 8/8/2026 x.com

Legion Hoops: Russell Westbrook on being a free agent: “I don’t think about it honestly. I love playing basketball and if it happens, it works and that’s my plan.” (via @CNN, h/t @TheWestbrookEra) — 8/8/2026 x.com

One more pressing Kings note as relayed by The People's Insider Jake Fischer: League sources say that Sacramento covets a veteran point guard to mentor prized rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and is thus now weighing the prospect of bringing back Russell Westbrook … or bringing in Victor Oladipo to fill that role. The Kings were among the teams to attend Oladipo's recent workout in Las Vegas during summer league. — 8/4/2026 marcstein.substack.com

Jonathan Abrams: What if OKC had kept Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden? Excited to announce my next book, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND FEARLESS, coming 11/3—a deep dive into the trio that reshaped the NBA. Pre-order link: harpercollins.com/products/when — 7/31/2026 x.com

NBA Courtside: Dillon Brooks says Russell Westbrook play style is hard to coach: “His play style is so different. It’s hard to coach. He needs the ball. He has to have the ball in his hands” — 7/31/2026 x.com

NBA Stat: Worst clutch 3PT% in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season (min. 15 clutch 3PA): 1. Cade Cunningham — 6.7% 2. Paolo Banchero — 10.5% 3. PJ Washington — 11.1% 4. Michael Porter Jr. — 16.0% 5. Russell Westbrook — 18.8% (via Clutch Numbers) #NBA — 7/28/2026 Bluesky

An NBA source who has relationships with Erik Spoelstra and other coaches said that a coach that Spoelstra trusts told him that he advised the Heat not to sign Westbrook, asserting that he’s difficult to coach. — 7/24/2026 Miami Herald

Jake Fischer on Russell Westbrook: ‘I truly have not heard any updates on him since we’ve heard before the opening bell of free agency that the Wizards were interested in him. But also, ever since Washington managed to sneak that Khris Middleton sign-and-trade into a six-team multi-team trade to bring Middleton back to D.C. after that first half of last season, I have been ruling out the Wizards as a Russell Westbrook team. So really I don’t have a home for him right now, I don't believe Sacramento wants him back, I don’t think he wants to come back there.’ — 7/22/2026 Bleacher Report

During his latest updates for Bleacher Report, Jake Fischer was asked if the Kings would like to bring Westbrook back for another year to potentially mentor Acuff Jr. Apparently, the NBA insider dismissed any possibility that Sacramento will look to retain the former NBA star. "At this point, no disrespect to Russell Westbrook, but I haven't heard that the Kings would want him back really in any fashion," Fischer said. "I do believe that Sacramento has 15 full roster spots right now. "I don't think they are looking to really move a lot of furniture around to make an opening for Russell Westbrook to come back." — 7/17/2026 BasketNews

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Nine-time All-Star, 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook announces retirement