"I Was Surprised": Ex-Kings Coach Makes Honest Confession About Russell Westbrook's Sudden Retirement (Exclusive)

After 18 NBA seasons, Russell Westbrook shocked the world by announcing his retirement on Aug. 12. No one saw it coming, especially given Westbrook's physical condition at 37. Before retiring, Russ was still one of the most athletic NBA stars. You could argue he is also the most athletic next to LeBron James in his age range.

Having that in mind, former Sacramento Kings Player Development Coach Jimmy Alapag was shocked when he learned about Russ' retirement.

BasketballNews' Itiel Estudillo had the opportunity to tune in for a live recording of ESPN's The Hoop Collective Podcast, wherein he got insights on Alapag's take on Westbrook's abrupt retirement.

"I was surprised it was (Russell Westbrook's) last season," Alapag said. "But to be able to have the opportunity to be around one of the all-time greats, and really just see the day-to-day preparation and discipline. I think he's got to be one of the best-conditioned 37-year-olds I've ever seen… To be able to meet an all-time great, spend time with him, and learn that side of him, aside from the legend that he is, is incredible."

Apparently, Westbrook wanted to exit on his own terms. According to several reports, his market value has been steadily declining. This is due to his limited bag of tricks. With the NBA fully adopting a limitless range of shots, Westbrook seemed incomplete.

It's also worth noting that before Westbrook retired, the Washington Wizards offered him a two-year contract. However, the money no longer made sense to him. The exact details of the contract were never disclosed, but it's safe to assume that it was small enough for Russ to decline.

Having all that in mind, other reports indicate that Westbrook didn't want to compromise with his lower market value, which is why he decided to step away entirely instead.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Opens Up About Relationship With Russell Westbrook

Despite Russell Westbrook retiring as part of the Sacramento Kings, he will forever be remembered for his time with the OKC Thunder. Drafted by the Thunder (known as the Seattle SuperSonics at the time) in 2008, it was in OKC that Russ made a name for himself.

Playing for the Thunder, he notched his one and only NBA MVP, nine All-Star selections, and an NBA Finals appearance in 2012 alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden.

There's no denying that Westbrook was one of the best Thunder point guards in franchise history. However, one notable player has already eclipsed Russ' career in OKC, and that's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA is now arguably the greatest Thunder player in history. He's a two-time NBA MVP and helped the Thunder win a championship in 2025, with him being the NBA Finals MVP.

While the torch has undeniably been passed down to Gilgeous-Alexander, the young star is still grateful for Westbrook's mentorship. SGA revealed to Thunder beat reporter Michael Martin that Russ has been there for him since becoming OKC's franchise player. He also opened up about his thoughts on Westbrook's sudden retirement.

"He's honestly just like a great human despite what people have said about him," SGA said. "Russ is amazing. He's always been a phone call away if I needed something, if I needed to bounce something off of him, if I needed some advice; like he's the real deal. He's an A+ human. A+ basketball player. Like, it doesn't get better than Russ. That's my guy, and he had a great career, and sad to see him go."

Following his retirement, there are reports that the Thunder are expected to retire Westbrook's jersey number 0. Soon after, there will be a statue to commemorate his legendary career in OKC.