0KC: Thunder will retire Westbrook's No. 0 this season

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced they will retire Russell Westbrook's No. 0 in the rafters on Feb. 7.

Westbrook was a first-round pick of the organization in 2008, just days before the team officially became the Thunder after relocating from Seattle.

Westbrook played the first 11 years of his 18-season career in OKC and paired with Kevin Durant to turn the young Thunder into one of the best teams in the league. However, after Durant's free agent departure following the 2015-16 season, Westbrook's stature in Oklahoma City grew.

The next season, Westbrook became the first player to average a triple-double for an entire season since Oscar Robertson, going for 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, and was named league MVP. He continued to average a triple-double for the following two seasons, his final ones with the Thunder.

"Many players make an impact but only great players leave a legacy. Russell Westbrook's legacy was built both on the court and in the community," Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said in a statement Monday. "His mindset was relentless, his commitment deep. For all those reasons, Oklahomans consider him one of their own and his number will be raised to the rafters, in Oklahoma City forever."

OKC traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets ahead of the 2019-20 season, part of an offseason that saw the team move away from the Westbrook-Paul George pairing and establish the foundation for the franchise's current run of success.

After a season in Houston, Westbrook bounced around the league playing with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings.

A nine-time All-Star and member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team in 2021, Westbrook announced his retirement this offseason. His No. 0 will be the second jersey retired by the Thunder joining Nick Collison's No. 4.