Russell Westbrook appeared to foreshadow his retirement during his foundation’s summer basketball camp, according to a montage posted Wednesday by the Why Not Foundation. In one clip, a young camper asked, “Are you a real NBA player?” and Westbrook replied, “Some days. I used to be back in the day — back in my young days.”
The Why Not Foundation held its annual two-day camp at the end of July at Jesse Owens Park and Loma Alta Park for children ages 7-14, with free admission for campers, according to the foundation’s post. The montage featured a miked-up Westbrook and included moments that drew attention from fans.
Westbrook announced his retirement last Tuesday on social media, posting a video narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan. In that post he wrote, “Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end,” and added, “You had to be there. And now it’s over.” The announcement said Westbrook was retiring after 18 NBA seasons.
A Long Beach, California, native, Westbrook was selected in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, a franchise that was sold in 2006 and shortly thereafter became the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to the source. He was part of the inaugural Thunder roster and spent 11 seasons in the 405, winning the NBA MVP award in 2016-17 after averaging a triple-double.
Westbrook was included in a 2019 trade to the Houston Rockets and later had stints with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and most recently the Sacramento Kings. A nine-time All-Star, he finished his career averaging 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, according to the provided report.
