It’s also just completely obvious that a player’s retirement gives fans a reason to reflect on and appreciate a player’s career. I’m not waking up and going down the list of active players I need to make sure I’m appreciating enough every single day lol

Westbrook was a great player but he also had flaws to his game. Both can be true. Some fans just get way too butthurt if you say anything remotely negative about their favorite player.

My love for Westbrook has always been here, but him being my favourite player to watch from 2013-2017 doesn’t speak to the player he is in 2026.

Still love the player, but he had several flaws that people were well aware of, and they aren’t wrong for pointing them out, the same way I’m not wrong for saying he’s a top 3 most electric player I’ve ever seen.

You woke up and decided to write four paragraphs about this?

Do people not understand that these aren’t the same people posting these things?

They really don’t, as stupid as it sounds.

“people should just stop worrying about this “where was the love before””

You should stop worrying about people who worry about “where was the love before”

Who GAF.

Tbf I will totally talk shit about an old dude being old and bad and then when he retires be like “props he was the GOAT.” Like KD was incredible but also thank God he’s nowhere near my team

ok

My crew always loved Westbrook for who he is. A ferocious competitor that did what he thought needed to be done to win. For better and worse.

No I hope we do this for a certain bearded SG once he retires instead of posting him being elbowed by Metta World, Giannis throwing a ball at his face but I know this sub so I doubt it’s going to happen. Even if he continues to make the team he joins better.

ok but like one time westbrook took a knee that dented his skull

finished with 40, missed 1 game

then dropped 49 the next game with a mask on

Pepperidge Farm remembers

And these dudes also dont understand that criticisms can be legit. Just because he was criticized a lot over the last few years doesnt mean people dont respect his career and his accomplishments

People love ignoring that there’s different subsets of people in every subreddit.

People in the sixers sub for example love to say, “Y’all in this subreddit were saying XYZ 6 months ago. Now you’re saying something else.” as if the subreddit isn’t like 10,000 people popping in and out every day with varying levels of engagement over the course of the year.

For those here for the (tempered) love, this one was a lot of fun to read:  https://www.theringer.com/2026/08/17/nba/russell-westbrook-retirement-highlights-stats-thunder-triple-doubles

Alot of us tried to show love but were constantly down voted to oblivion.

People post what’s mainstream. If it’s mainstream to hate someone that’s what gets posted more. If it’s mainstream to love someone that’s what’s going to get posted more. It’s just how things have always been.

Fun player, seems like a decent guy.

Fake love, see it after every celebrity death too

This is a tale as old as time

Nothing new buddy

I think the people that are saying that know that there was always a big group of basketball fans that love Westbrook AND were vocal about it.

It’s just a headline thing to say so it’s going to be said.

He wasn’t even bad his last season, CP3 went out with a steep drop off, but Westbrook retired while still being a good NBA player.

It’s unfortunate that he spent his best years in Oklahoma. Team branding was just so boring, Walmart like. Same with SGA. If only team stayed in Seattle and he played wearing green. I have nothing against him, he was great watch.

It’s always been here. Just the hate was too loud and now those who was just riding the wave but didn’t truly dislike Russ is sad. Maybe sad they can’t make corny jokes anymore idk, the thing with online love is no matter what you say online when you get off of it whatever you truly believe is still there. Gotta live with everything you said it’s a lot of phony folks in this world, it’s a waste of time even calling them out it’s so many. Growing up that Okc big three made me love basketball sad that my era is ending this new era doesn’t compare (fuck I’m an old head now)

Haters get quieter when someone retires making it seem like this. It would be so crazy if people continued hating when someone as good and nice as Russ retired.

The dude was an absolute marvel with his athletic ability at his peak and people loved him for it. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a liability when he was in his Westbrick era. You can be really great at points in your career and not great at others.

Russ is a polarizing player. Who also happened to play on some with some of the biggest names and on the biggest teams in the league the past two decades. So yeah the haters are there but lots of fans love him too. His critics also respect his leadership, effort, and what he’s brought to the game. But online spaces only have room for one opinion at a time so you’ve probably see a lot of the negative ones

He won an MVP that he probably didn’t even deserve.

I wouldn’t even argue the hate comes from different people. I loved him as a player, but eventually I (like many others) believed he’d never help a team win a championship. The hating just becomes a way to mask the dissapointment.

Young people always liked Russ, older sickos never really did, and now both parties are finally in the same conversation.

Didn’t reallly care for him while he was playing and still don’t after he retired. It’s always good to stay consistent lol

I just assumed he’s going off to live in that house he built with all of his bricks 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’m the opposite, I only loved him at the end of his career.

When he was a stats merchant getting double doubles all the time I wasn’t a fan. Play for the win or you’re a loser.

However, as he got less effective he won me over. Seeing him take a vet minimum, staying in amazing shape even as he aged, and balling for the love of the game made me a fan.

I always loved him except for his Lakers years. But I wasn’t a hater then either. From the moment he signed I blamed LeGM and the FO for doing so because it was obvious that he wouldn’t fit in this roster.

I’ve always asked the same question about Kobe…

Nike even made a commercial about the hate

Then when he died there was all these people suddenly talking about “I miss Kobe”.

Nauseating.

Westbrook’s bad decisions would cost him many times. But there was something special about a guy that sees 3 people in the way and decides to go for a dunk anyway. It was sheer entertainment!

And the “running around doing nothing” about Pat Bev is still my favorite burn ever in the NBA

Why is it so hard to just have the opinion that he’s been washed for some time now but back in the day he was good with his unmatched explosiveness.

Seems pretty simple to me.

It’s always like that. They shit on you when you are active, once you retire or die, that’s when the opinion shifts.

Ridiculous, his Jersey always top 10. He’s been a mega star for 20 years.

I’ve been a basketball fanatic since 1990.

There has never been a player in all that time that I have hated more than him. I loathe him. Despise him. No love then, no love now. Good riddance.

The old watch is almost over

Westbrook career didn’t age gracefully, but we can still appreciate the talent

No love here. Good riddance

I love me some Westbrook on and off the court.

He was loved, then he got old and fell off and people grew frustrated with who he was. Now that he’s retired we can analyze his career as a whole and remember the good times.

People hate on players’ current state.

But once they retire, the people celebrate their peak state.

Honestly the okc vs gs playoff series on tnt is what made me actually become an nba fan and watch games. I loved okc’s core especially Russ.

after KD left OKC 10 years ago, westbrook’s teams were basically never contending for titles and he didn’t have the sort of iguodala/jrue holiday/chris bosh type of role on a contender you might have hoped for either.

The guy flat out sucked for the last few seasons.

Guys like LeBron who are playing high level basketball that far into their careers are extraordinarily rare. Also Westbrook couldn’t effectively transition to a role player like a lot of older guys do.

Dude was crying about being called Westbrick.

I never realized Westbrook was 6-4.

Why wasn’t he a more dominant defender, for multiple positions?

Me being a hater doesn’t diminish what he did accomplish, and the accolades he earned.

He was the the reverse Harden for me - not good enough to be THE guy, but sooooo pleasant to watch. I can still respect what he achieved, how fun of a player he was, how kind and generous he is dealing with the community. And I can still laugh at his man-child thin skin and touch of delulu.

That’s the way she goes kid, can’t wait for LeBron to retire so I can start liking him

Some people celebrated Russ losing like they won a chip themselves

Westbrooks fans have always been his fans. All the haters just hopped on the wagon because it was vogue and edgy.

The dude was fantastic to watch in OKC he was like a power guard. Lol.

We only hated him cuz he was good. Now he’s retired so we can respect.

Westbrook 10000x more deserving of HOF than the guys in this years class

OP - this is one of the most common things that plays out on Reddit. All it takes is a small minority to post/comment with a certain opinion to make people think that’s what an entire sub thinks. Meanwhile the vast majority of the sub doesn’t even post or comment so we have no idea of the true zeitgeist.

It happens when people die too.

Right bro like why would people come out and dunk all over him now when his career is over? Like nobody wants to be the ass hole that wants dog like on someone after their careers…Although I fully expect LeBron to continue to get shit on when he retires for good unfortunately LMAO

he got his own song lol

Threads like this are getting old.

Westbrook had such a low iq in the final 2 minutes. Like he had a curse or something

I remember him a lot more from his prime anyway (didn’t see him much in recent years, due to not watching much of those teams that he’s been on)

Where is MITWestbrook at

[deleted]

I think he was always loved for his passion, and derided because he was as dumb as a stump.

this is the moment in time we get to celebrate his passion and ignore the other stuff for a bit.

the fact that Russ has got this much fanfare shows his impact on the game. Most players do not get this kind of response to retirement

That love was missing because Westbrook was straight cheeks for the last few years of his career and it was largely painful to watch.

He is better than Chris Paul all-time imo.

He was a stat chaser like Melo, and always had a weird attitude. I’m not sure why we need to congratulate him, outside of his personal fans.

No one showed him love because he was always kind of an asshole.

Now I am not saying he definitely was or is, but he always came off as super self serious and very low self awareness and super defensive. If the guy showed any sense of humor whatsoever I would have liked him 100 percent more.

Correct. I am and will always be a Westbrook hater.

He was washed about the time he got to LA. Watching him brick every single shot he took and turn the ball over frequently was frustrating.

Main issue was he went to lakers where he had a terrible contract and he was a terrible fit on that team. Then lakers fans hate and want to trade their entire team always. He was never that bad as people make it sound like.

I mean the guy was a great player until he wasn’t. And he was a normal dude till he was a clown. I think both of these things can be true

What “love”? Good riddance