Thunder Will Retire Russell Westbrook's No. 0

Russell Westbrook's No. 0 is going to the rafters in Oklahoma City. The Thunder announced Monday that they will retire the jersey of the 2017 MVP on Feb. 7, making Westbrook the face of the franchise's first big era in a permanent way.

This one hits different for Thunder fans. Westbrook was there before there was a Thunder. He is the player who stayed, the guy who turned a relocated team into a nightly event, and now his number will hang over Paycom Center for good.

Where It All Started

Oklahoma City took Westbrook in the first round of the 2008 draft, just days before the franchise officially became the Thunder after leaving Seattle. He spent the first 11 years of his 18-season career there, and he and Kevin Durant built the young Thunder into one of the best teams in the league.

When Durant left in free agency after the 2015-16 season, Westbrook did not go anywhere. His standing in Oklahoma City only grew from there, ESPN noted in its report on the announcement.

The Triple-Double Season

The next year was the stuff of legend. Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season, and he won MVP. The numbers that matter:

• 31.6 points per game

• 10.7 rebounds per game

• 10.4 assists per game

Then he did it again, averaging a triple-double in each of the next two seasons, his last two in a Thunder uniform.

"Many players make an impact but only great players leave a legacy. Russell Westbrook's legacy was built both on the court and in the community," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "His mindset was relentless, his commitment deep. For all those reasons, Oklahomans consider him one of their own and his number will be raised to the rafters, in Oklahoma City forever."

The Road After OKC

Oklahoma City traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets before the 2019-20 season, part of an offseason that moved the team away from the Westbrook and Paul George pairing and laid the groundwork for the run the franchise is on now. After one season in Houston, he played for the Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Kings.

Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team in 2021, announced his retirement this offseason. His No. 0 will be just the second number the Thunder have retired, joining Nick Collison's No. 4.

The Thunder's schedule has them at home against the Knicks on Feb. 7, so mark it now. Whatever the night looks like, expect Paycom Center to be loud from warmups on. Westbrook gave that building everything he had for 11 years, and the fans who watched him pull up in transition and scream after every big bucket will get one more chance to scream back.