Draymond Green criticized basketball fans for celebrating Russell Westbrook’s career after spending much of the former MVP’s final years criticizing his game. Green made the comments on The Draymond Green Show after Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA on Aug. 12.
“Basketball fans suck,” Green said. “And by the way, I am a basketball fan, so you can throw me in that category, too. But basketball fans suck.”
Green specifically pointed to the criticism Westbrook received over the final eight to 10 years of his career, including attacks on his shooting, accusations of stat-padding and claims that he negatively affected teams.
“For the last 8 to 10 years, all this guy has heard is how bad he sucks, how he don’t shoot it well, how he stat pad, and how he mess up teams,” Green said. “And when you’re in this game and that’s all you see, that’s all you hear, you power through it. You fight through it because that’s who we are.”
Westbrook announced his retirement at 37 after 18 NBA seasons. He finished his career as the league’s all-time leader in triple-doubles with 209, including a record 42 during the 2016-17 season when he won the MVP award.
The nine-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA selection also finished fifth in NBA history with 10,351 assists and 14th in scoring with 27,176 points. He was a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2012.
Green argued that the appreciation surrounding Westbrook’s retirement contrasted sharply with how the guard was treated during his playing career.
“West brick and all the things y’all said about him,” Green said. “And the moment he step aside, oh man, y’all did Russ wrong. Can’t tell me he couldn’t be on the team. What? How, wow how he played the game. Gonna miss him and not in the NBA. All these great beautiful things. Why can’t we feel that when you going?”
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Westbrook’s retirement prompted tributes from former teammates and players across the league. Kevin Durant posted “Keep inspiring,” while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander described Westbrook as an “OKC legend,” and LeBron James and Donovan Mitchell also praised his career.
Westbrook retires without an NBA championship despite his individual résumé. His 209 triple-doubles remain the benchmark, although Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic entered the 2026-27 season with 198 and is positioned to challenge the record.
Westbrook’s career also included three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers before finishing with the Sacramento Kings. He leaves the NBA as one of the most productive statistical players in league history, regardless of the debate surrounding his playing style.
