Watch: Sam Presti delivers speech over Russell Westbrook's time on OKC Thunder
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Watch: Sam Presti delivers speech over Russell Westbrook's time on OKC Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - AUGUST 4: General Manager Sam Presti speaks with Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder at a press conference after signing a contract extension on August 4, 2016 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clemente Almanza, OKC Thunder Wire·Thunder Wire
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2 min read
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Amid one of the darkest times in franchise history, theOklahoma City Thunderripped apart the clouds to show a glimmer of sunshine. Sam Presti delivered Russell Westbrook the highest honor an NBA legend can receive. They will retire his No. 0 jersey on Sunday, Feb. 7, against theNew York Knicks.
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This felt inevitable. Now, we have a set date. Westbrook announced his NBA retirement this past summer. He played an epic 18 seasons in the league from 2008-26. The first 11 were with the Thunder — which were his best both as an individual and as a team.
Westbrook is an era-defining NBA superstar of the 2010s. He was a one-time MVP winner, set the all-time triple-double record and was a perennial All-Star and All-NBA member in OKC. He also co-starred — alongside Kevin Durant — on their first title contender. Sure, they never brought home a ring, but they had several deep playoff runs in their time together.
The Thunder and Westbrook are forever synonymous. He's their first true NBA superstar that they fully loved. Any time he was in OKC as the opponent, the entire crowd showered him with cheers and praise. That's why his eventual jersey retirement was a no-brainer. And something Presti hinted at in his 2026-27 preseason press conference.
Announcing it at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum for his Oklahoma Standard Award, Presti spent a dozen minutes giving a riveting speech on Westbrook's time in OKC. As you can expect, emotions flooded both of their usually-stoic and calculated faces.
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You can watch Presti's full speech below. There are plenty of Easter eggs in it that the biggest Westbrook historians will absolutely love to see. If emotions were this high on just the simple announcement, imagine what it'll be like before the Thunder take on the Knicks for NBC's Sunday Night Basketball:
