Nine time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook announced his retirement on Wednesday and the NBA world is still celebrating the living legend days later.
No fanbase is reliving Westbrook's one of a kind career more or with greater passion than Oklahoma City Thunder fans.
The Thunder and Russell Westbrook will forever be synonymous. Despite playing for seven teams over 18 total seasons, the 11 years he spent in OKC are what made the former UCLA Bruin a basketball icon. The mutual bond between player and community that Westbrook and Oklahoma City share is one of the strongest we've ever seen in the NBA.
Across Westbrook's Thunder career, he was named an All-Star eight times, selected All-NBA eight times, won two scoring titles, led the league in assists three times and was crowned MVP. In a storied decade plus of supreme performances and plays, it's hard to narrow Westbrook's best moments to only five options. But that's what I'm going to attempt to do in this RoundTable entry. For this story, I will focus only on Westbrook's on court moments. His off court moments deserve a whole other article.
Top 5 Russell Westbrook Thunder Moments (On Court Edition)
5. "I'm coming." The first time Westbrook matched up against Kevin Durant and his new band of 73-9 Warriors teammates in Oklahoma City was the cathartic moment every Thunder fan needed at the time. The hero who stayed versus the villain who left. Westbrook talked trash to Durant headed to a timeout down 18 points, to the absolute delight of Loud City. Everyone in that arena knew Westbrook couldn't beat that stacked Golden State squad by himself except for Westbrook himself. And OKC loved him for it.
4. 20-20-20. Legendary Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle was one of Westbrook's close, personal friends. He passed away on March 31, 2019. Two days later, Westbrook went out and notched 20 points, 20 rebounds and 21 assists in Hussle's honor. A feat the NBA hadn't seen since Wilt Chamberlain... from a 6'4" point guard.
3. "Russ-ell! Russ-ell!" Westbrook was an emerging superstar in 2011, but he had been struggling coming into a late December game against the Dallas Mavericks. Criticism started coming from every corner of the world. Except in OKC. Westbrook went to the free throw line and the entire arena started chanting his first name. The moment that defined the bond between the player and the city.
2. Hist0ry. This play is so iconic that all I have to do is write five words and everyone will know exactly the moment I'm talking about: game winner versus the Nuggets.
1. The Flip Shot. The moment that signified the arrival not only of Westbrook, but of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Round 2 of the playoffs against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The steal. The astonishing shot. The iconic Westbrook reaction. 18,203 fans losing their minds. Bryant's knowing look. This play had it all. OKC would go on to make the NBA Finals a few weeks later. Early Thunder basketball when everything seemed possible. In large part because Russell Westbrook did the impossible.
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