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Sam Presti releases a statement celebrating Russell Westbrook's Hall of Fame career originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Wednesday, August 12th, Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA. It was surprising because many people felt he still had a lot to give to the game of basketball. Unfortunately, it seems he felt that it was the right decision to make this time around.
After 18 seasons in the league, Westbrook has stepped away from the NBA. He retires as one of the league's greatest point guards, and while he never won a championship, he has an everlasting legacy. He played for multiple teams in his career, but he will always be an Oklahoma City Thunder icon.
Sam Presti celebrates Russell Westbrook's Hall of Fame-worthy career
As the longtime general manager for the Thunder, Sam Presti was the person in charge when they drafted Westbrook. At the time, the franchise was still in Seattle, but he wanted to build a solid foundation for their long-term future with another star player in addition to Kevin Durant.
That formed the partnership between KD and Russ, two of the greatest players in franchise history. To this day, they are still considered among the very best, but they have been knocked down a peg because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's success with the Thunder.
MORE: Russell Westbrook announces his retirement from the NBA after learning about his uncertain future
Presti was already a magnificent GM with his eye for talent back then. However, he knew that building around Durant and Westbrook was the way to go. They even reached the NBA Finals in 2012, but it was not enough for them to bring home a championship.
Durant left in 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors, which prompted Westbrook to have a legendary 2016-17 season, when he averaged a triple-double for an entire campaign. Unfortunately, he got traded away in 2019, starting his journeyman-like stint throughout the league until 2026.
"Russell Westbrook is the ultimate competitor. His internal belief and unbridled fearlessness helped establish the foundation of our organization from day one in 2008, and he elevated the confidence and inspired our community in every year thereafter," Presti said in his statement after Westbrook's retirement.
"He built a Hall of Fame career not by making statements or simply by breaking records; he did it by showing us all the power of asking one simple question: 'Why Not?'"
Presti knows what it was like to work with Westbrook, and he saw up close how good a player he was. At the same time, he was also one of the best personalities in the league, which will be sorely missed. Now, he is off to the sunset to reap the benefits of his lengthy NBA career.
More NBA news:
- Looking back on Russell Westbrook's most iconic moments from his 18-year NBA career
- How losing to Victor Wembanyama has left Chet Holmgren in jeopardy with the Thunder
- Cason Wallace knows the Thunder and the Spurs now have a passionate rivalry against each other
- Chet Holmgren gets brutally honest about OKC's offseason decisions
- Sam Presti reveals the reason behind trading away Lu Dort to the Hawks
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