Former NBA Veteran Dwyane Wade Weighs In On Russell Westbrook’s Career

Dwyane Wade calls Russell Westbrook's career underrated© Instagram/dwyanewade

The Oklahoma City Thunder will retire Russell Westbrook's jersey. The honor arrives just after his retirement. Dwyane Wade has since weighed in, saying on a recent podcast appearance that Westbrook's résumé is one of the most underrated in the league. Westbrook spent 11 years in Oklahoma City, longer than with any other team he played for. The ceremony will cap a career that spanned seven different NBA franchises.

Wade Says Westbrook Is Underrated

Westbrook made nine NBA All-Star teams, yet Wade thinks the guard has never gotten his due from fans. He argued that Westbrook's path has been unlike anyone else's and that the public has been slow to see it. “Man Russ is having one of the most underappreciated careers that we will see…for whatever the reasons are…just one of the GOAT careers because it's customized and no one has one like it,” Wade said.

He was just as taken with how Westbrook plays, saying no one else understands the game like he does. “Like no one has a career like Russell Westbrook and no one plays the game like Russell Westbrook. He's a 1 of 1.” He saved the longest thought for last: “Whatever year he's in — he's still athletic, he still plays the game the same way when we first got introduced to Russ and it's incredible to watch — one of the most athletic human beings we've ever seen.”

Westbrook Retires After Long Run

Westbrook announced his retirement from the league in August 2026. He began with the Thunder in 2008 and stayed 11 years before a trade to the Houston Rockets. The Thunder years remain the heart of his résumé, which the jersey retirement now makes official. He is also the NBA's all-time triple-double king, a mark he pushed to 209 by the time he retired. He later played for several teams, including the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets, finishing his career with the Sacramento Kings.