Russell Westbrook seemed to have made his mind up long before officially retiring. At the end of July, his "Why Not Foundation" hosted its annual two-day basketball camp for kids ages 7-14 at Jesse Owens Park and Loma Alta Park. In a clip posted by the foundation, a young camper asked Westbrook, "Are you a real NBA player?" Westbrook replied, "Some days.

I used to be back in the day -- back in my young days." Last Tuesday, Westbrook announced his retirement after 18 seasons via social media with a video narrated by Michael B. Jordan. "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end," he wrote. "You had to be there. And now it's over." Westbrook, 37, was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008 and became part of the inaugural Oklahoma City Thunder squad.

He spent 11 seasons in OKC, winning MVP in 2016-17 after averaging a triple-double. He was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2019 and later played for the Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and Kings. A nine-time All-Star, Westbrook finished his career averaging 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 8 assists per game.