How Long Has Westbrook Been in the NBA?

Westbrook has been in the NBA for 10 years now. He was drafted in 2008 by the Oklahoma City Thunder and has been with the team ever since. He’s a 6-time All-Star and a 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP.

Introduction

Russell Westbrook is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He is a seven-time NBA All-Star and led the league in scoring in 2014–15 and 2016–17. Westbrook has also been awarded All-NBA and All-Defensive honors five times each.

Westbrook’s NBA Career

Russell Westbrook was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. Westbrook has been a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder since they relocated from Seattle in 2008. He is a eight-time NBA All-Star and a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP.

Draft

Westbrook was drafted fourth overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma City six days later. He signed with the team on July 5, 2008.

Early years

Westbrook was born in Long Beach, California, to Russell Westbrook Jr. and Shannon Horton. He has a younger brother named Raynard. Growing up, Westbrook admired Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, and he would wear Johnson’s No. 32 in honor of him. He also imprinted Johnson’s turnaround jumper as his favorite basketball move. Westbrook attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, where he was a two-time state champion in the high jump.

All-Star years

In his first All-Star season, Westbrook averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In the 2014–15 season, Westbrook earned his second consecutive All-Star selection. He again averaged a triple-double with 28.1 points, 10.3 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game, and was once again named to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

MVP years

Westbrook’s individual awards and recognitions include nine NBA All-Star selections, two All-Star Game MVPs, eight All-NBA selections, and two NBA scoring titles. He has led the league in assists per game four times, and in steals per game twice. Westbrook has set numerous regular season and postseason records throughout his career.

In 2017, he became one of two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, along with Oscar Robertson in 1962. He went on to average a triple-double for the next two seasons as well, making him the first player in NBA history to do so for three consecutive seasons. In 2019, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets.

Westbrook’s legacy

Westbrook has been in the NBA since 2008, and he has been a force to be reckoned with ever since. He is a two-time NBA All-Star and he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2017. Westbrook is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He is one of the most popular players in the NBA, and he has a really bright future ahead of him.

All-time great

Westbrook is one of the most physically gifted athletes of his generation. A true triple threat, he has the speed and quickness to get to the basket and finish, the power to bully his way inside for rebounds and put-backs, and the vision and playmaking ability to find open teammates when he’s double-teamed. Westbrook is also an excellent perimeter shooter, though he’s not afraid to take (and make) a lot of tough shots. He’s a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions, and he has good instincts for getting in the passing lanes and coming up with steals.

One of the best point guards of all time

Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star, and he was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2015 and 2016. He is a two-time NBA scoring champion, winning the title in 2015-16 and 2016-17, and he led the league in assists per game in 2016-17. He has been named to the All-NBA First Team five times and the All-Defensive First Team four times. He is one of two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, along with Oscar Robertson. He is also the only player to do so in multiple seasons. In 2017, he was awarded the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The ESPYS.

Conclusion

Westbrook has been in the NBA for 11 years now. He was drafted in 2008 by the Seattle Supersonics and played there for one year before the team moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. He has been with the Thunder ever since, and is currently in his eleventh season with the team.