Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook will enter the 2025-26 NBA season in his 18th year in the league. Although he’s now part of the older side of things, Westbrook has still showcased that he belongs among the elite players. The question surrounding the former MVP is how long he’ll be actively playing. On Sunday, fans learned about the former star’s plans.
Last season, the explosive guard was part of the Denver Nuggets as their sixth man. Westbrook appeared in 75 games, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He played an important role as the instant offense player for the Nuggets.
However, he did not pick up his player option to stay in Denver over the summer. He was without a team for a while and was only signed by the Kings recently. Westbrook will remain as a backup point guard for Dennis Schroder, who was his backup point guard with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2018-19 season. They were also teammates in the 2022-23 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Russell Westbrook confirmed that he isn’t planning on retiring after this season. This means that he’s focused on playing his 19th year of playing professional basketball.
“New Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook says there is no plan to retire after this season, which is his 18th year,” Haynes reported.
New Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook says there is no plan to retire after this season, which is his 18th year.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 19, 2025
The only question for Westbrook now is which team will pursue him next. The nine-time All-Star will be a free agent after this season, since he only signed a one-year. $3.6 million contract.
Russell Westbrook will wear No. 18 for the Kings
Entering the new year, Russell Westbrook will wear a different jersey number for a second consecutive year. Last season, he wore No. 4 with the Denver Nuggets. This time with the Kings, the guard will wear No. 18.
There isn’t any explanation behind it, but many think it’s because he’ll play his 18th year. Additionally, No. 0 is with Malik Monk.
On Sunday, the nine-time All-NBA spoke to the media for the first time since he signed a deal with the team. Westbrook expressed his excitement for his new team and highlighted his love for the game and the fans.
“Very excited. I think fans are one of the reasons why I love to play the game,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons why I continue to go out and give everything I have. Being on the road side, I know how great this fanbase can be. I’m grateful and excited to be able to get out there and have them on my side and feed off their energy.”
Fans are excited to see how Westbrook will play alongside his new teammates.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
