▲ Russell Westbrook, the eternal "No. 0" of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC)
The Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) will retire the jersey number 0 of "triple-double machine" Russell Westbrook.
Sports media outlet ESPN reported that the Oklahoma City franchise will hold a jersey retirement ceremony to raise Westbrook's No. 0 to the rafters of their home arena on February 7 of next year.
Drafted in the first round of the 2008 rookie draft, Westbrook spent the first 11 seasons of his 18-year professional career with Oklahoma City.
Teaming up with Kevin Durant, he transformed Oklahoma City, which was a young team, into a top-tier powerhouse in the league.
In particular, after Durant left the team as a free agent (FA) following the 2015-2016 season, Westbrook's presence within the team grew even greater.
In the 2016-2017 season, he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, achieving the feat of averaging a "triple-double" for a season for the first time since "legend" Oscar Robertson, and crowned himself as the regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Keeping up the momentum, he set a monumental record of averaging a triple-double for three consecutive seasons, up until his final two seasons in Oklahoma City.
Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Executive Vice President and General Manager, said in a statement, "Many players have an impact, but only great players leave a legacy. Westbrook's legacy was built both on and off the court and within the community."
He added, "Thanks to his relentless mindset and deep dedication, the people of Oklahoma consider him family. His jersey will hang in Oklahoma City forever."
Ahead of the 2019-2020 season, Oklahoma City traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets to embark on a rebuild, and after leaving the team, Westbrook subsequently passed through the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles (LA) Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings.
Selected as an All-Star nine times in his career and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, he declared his retirement from active play this off-season.
Westbrook's No. 0 jersey will become the second retired number in Oklahoma City franchise history, following Nick Collison's No. 4.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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