Retired NBA star Russell Westbrook changed how we view stats vs winning basketball

Russell Westbrook, one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, has announced his retirement after a remarkable 17-year career. Westbrook has many aliases Russ, Brodie, Zero but the one he is most known for summarizes his career: Mr. Triple Double. Westbrook played for seven different franchises, but is most remembered for his time in Oklahoma City, where he earned the majority of his accolades. Russ left his mark on the league in more ways than one. Not only did he etch his name in the record books, but he transformed the game and how we perceive a player’s legacy. MORE: 3 NBA rookies who will struggle in 2026-2027 One-man band Jan 19, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) In an era of superteams, Westbrook opted out of taking the easy path to a ring. This put him at a disadvantage and ultimately led to him not winning an NBA championship, a benchmark most all-time greats have. Failure to win an NBA championship usually puts a damper on a player’s legacy. It didn’t have that effect on Russ. It actually did the opposite. When his counterpart, Kevin Durant, left him to join the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook didn’t run from the challenge. Instead, he willed his team to the seventh seed in the playoffs. Mr. triple-double Not only did Russ do it himself, but he also did so while averaging a triple-double for an entire season. He was the second player in NBA history to accomplish this feat, one many deemed impossible. Doing it for an entire regular season was unheard of, but Westbrook didn’t do it once — he did it four times. A triple-double was an average night for Westbrook. He did it so much that the NBA media became numb to it. Four seasons of willing below-average teams to the playoffs and only one MVP to show for it. MORE: 3 Eastern Conference teams that can compete with the 76ers after LeBron James signing Transformed the game Typically, a career like Westbrook’s could be forgotten as just another Hall of Famer: zero rings and only one MVP in a 17-year career. Yet, his toughness and the way he stuffed the stat sheet forever changed how we view a player’s legacy. Westbrook will go down as a top-five point guard of all time, primarily based on being Mr. Triple Double,  no ring, just straight grind. Legacies are no longer defined by rings, but by a player’s impact. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —