Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant didn’t win a championship for Oklahoma City, but they turned the Thunder from fledgling relocated franchise into must-see TV.
Once Durant bolted for the Warriors, Westbrook took his turn as the face of the organization and averaged a triple-double in three consecutive seasons, earning MVP honors along the way. Playoff success, however, didn’t follow.
Westbrook’s name is all over the Thunder record books, but where does he rank among the many big names who have put on the jersey?
Here’s a look at where Westbrook ranks among Sporting News’ nine greatest Thunder players of all time.
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Where does Russell Westbrook rank among Thunder legends?
Note: Only players who played for the Thunder after the move to Oklahoma City are considered.
Westbrook ranks No. 2 on Sporting News’ list of the nine greatest players in Thunder history.
For all his faults, Westbrook’s place in Thunder history is fairly secure. He’s not considered the best player in Oklahoma City history, given Durant’s dominance, but it would be virtually impossible to rank him any lower than No. 3 since the move from Seattle.
The debate between No. 2 and No. 3 could be contested between Westbrook and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but with 11 seasons under Westbrook’s belt, it may simply take some time for Gilgeous-Alexander to pass Westbrook. As Gilgeous-Alexander competes for championships, however, he’s gaining a stronger case to be the second-ranked player in Thunder history.
While the Westbrook experience can be a rollercoaster, his franchise records, otherworldly production with three consecutive seasons averaging a triple-double and impact on winning alongside Durant can’t be ignored.
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Russell Westbrook career milestones and achievements
Here’s a complete breakdown of Westbrook’s career achievements in Oklahoma City.
All-Star appearances with Thunder
- 2010-11 NBA All-Star
- 2011-12 NBA All-Star
- 2012-13 NBA All-Star
- 2014-15 NBA All-Star
- 2015-16 NBA All-Star
- 2016-17 NBA All-Star
- 2017-18 NBA All-Star
- 2018-19 NBA All-Star
Westbrook was an eight-time All-Star in 11 seasons with the Thunder, earning his first selection in his third season. Only an injury-plagued 2013-14 season broke what could have been a streak of nine consecutive appearances.
All-NBA selections
- 2010-11: All-NBA Second Team
- 2011-12: All-NBA Second Team
- 2012-13: All-NBA Second Team
- 2014-15: All-NBA Second Team
- 2015-16: All-NBA First Team
- 2016-17: All-NBA First Team
- 2017-18: All-NBA Second Team
- 2018-19: All-NBA Third Team
Westbrook earned eight All-NBA selections during 11 seasons with the Thunder, landing on the First Team in 2015-16 and his MVP 2016-17 season. He and Durant were both All-NBA First Team selections as teammates in 2015-16.
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Award voting
- 2016-17 NBA MVP
- 4th in MVP voting (2014-15)
- 4th in MVP voting (2015-16)
- 5th in MVP voting (2017-18)
Westbrook was named the 2016-17 NBA MVP after becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double over a full season. He earned four top-five MVP finishes overall, including a fifth-place finish when he averaged a triple-double again in 2017-18.
Playoff appearances
- 9 playoff appearances
- 5 West semifinals appearances
- 4 Western Conference Finals appearances
- NBA Finals appearance
Westbrook reached the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons with the Thunder, making four Western Conference finals appearances alongside Durant. Oklahoma City reached the NBA Finals with Durant, Westbrook and James Harden in 2012, falling to LeBron James and the Heat.
Hurting Westbrook is the fact he never escaped the first round without Durant during his time with the Thunder. Oklahoma City suffered first round losses in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and Westbrook shot worse than 40 percent during each series.
Milestones
- Thunder all-time points leader (OKC and Seattle)
- Thunder rebounding leader since move to OKC
- Thunder assist leader since move to OKC
- One of three players to average a triple-double
- All-time triple-doubles leader
What Westbrook misses in playoff success he makes up for in milestones. One of three players to average a triple-double over a full season, Westbrook did it three times with Oklahoma City (four overall) and stands as the Thunder’s all-time leader in points even dating back to Seattle.
Since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, Westbrook is the leader in both rebounds and assists while also holding the NBA’s all-time triple-double record.
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Russell Westbrook career stats
Westbrook averaged more than 20 points per game in each of his final nine seasons with the Thunder, including 31.6 points per game during his MVP season. Westbrook made history by averaging a triple-double over each of his final three seasons with the organization.
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | FG% | 3-pt% |
| 2008-09 | Thunder | 82 | 15.3 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 39.8% | 27.1% |
| 2009-10 | Thunder | 82 | 16.1 | 4.9 | 8.0 | 1.3 | 41.8% | 22.1% |
| 2010-11 | Thunder | 82 | 21.9 | 4.6 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 44.2% | 33.0% |
| 2011-12 | Thunder | 66 | 23.6 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 45.7% | 31.6% |
| 2012-13 | Thunder | 82 | 23.2 | 5.2 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 43.8% | 32.3% |
| 2013-14 | Thunder | 46 | 21.8 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 43.7% | 31.8% |
| 2014-15 | Thunder | 67 | 28.1 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 2.1 | 42.6% | 29.9% |
| 2015-16 | Thunder | 80 | 23.5 | 7.8 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 45.4% | 29.6% |
| 2016-17 | Thunder | 81 | 31.6 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 1.6 | 42.5% | 34.3% |
| 2017-18 | Thunder | 80 | 25.4 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 1.8 | 44.9% | 29.8% |
| 2018-19 | Thunder | 73 | 22.9 | 11.1 | 10.7 | 1.9 | 42.8% | 29.0% |
| 2019-20 | Rockets | 57 | 27.2 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 1.6 | 47.2% | 25.8% |
| 2020-21 | Wizards | 65 | 22.2 | 11.5 | 11.7 | 1.4 | 43.9% | 31.5% |
| 2021-22 | Lakers | 78 | 18.5 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 44.4% | 29.8% |
| 2022-23 | LAL/LAC | 73 | 15.9 | 5.8 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 43.6% | 31.1% |
| 2023-24 | Clippers | 68 | 11.1 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 45.4% | 27.3% |
| 2024-25 | Nuggets | 73 | 13.3 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 1.4 | 44.9% | 32.3% |
| Career | 1,237 | 21.2 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 1.6 | 43.9% | 30.5% |
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Will Russell Westbrook be in the Hall of Fame?
Westbrook has received his share of criticism for his play later in his career, but he is a Hall of Fame lock. In fact, no NBA MVP eligible for the Hall of Fame has not gotten into the hall. Derrick Rose might put that pattern to the test, but Westbrook has the counting stats, longevity and accolades to make himself a guarantee.
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Russell Westbrook best highlights
A look at some of the best players from Westbrook’s MVP season:
That historic season included this late-season game-winner from Westbrook against the Nuggets:
Before he became an MVP, Westbrook flashed his stardom with 43 points, seven rebounds and five assists in an NBA Finals loss to the Heat in 2012.
Westbrook posted a 57-point triple double against the Magic in 2017:
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