Russell Westbrook officially announced his retirement from professional basketball after completing an 18-year Hall of Fame career. Westbrook did not point fingers at anyone for his decision to step away from the NBA.
However, former Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley directed his frustration at the media for influencing the way Westbrook’s career ended.
Patrick Beverley Blames Media for Russell Westbrook’s Career Ending
Shortly after Westbrook unexpectedly announced his retirement, several former NBA stars extended their support for Russ. However, while appreciating, Dwyane Wade described Westbrook’s career as one of the most underappreciated in NBA history.
Like Wade, Beverley was not convinced that Westbrook had reached the natural end of his playing career.
During the latest episode of The Pat Bev Show, he argued that years of damaging media narratives had negatively influenced how teams and fans viewed Westbrook.
“I’m going to be honest. I felt like he had a lot of game left,” Beverley said. “I feel like he played really well last season. I think the media killed his game. I’m going to be honest.”
“I think the media is so strong that it allowed fans to call him names. It allowed fans to have opinions about his game, which also forced team owners, GMs, presidents to look at him a certain way.”
Patrick Beverley says the media killed Russell Westbrook’s game:
“I think the media is so strong that it allowed fans to call him names. It allowed fans to have opinions about his game, which also forced team owners, GMs, presidents to look at him a certain way. When you talk… pic.twitter.com/AwyOGib0qF
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) August 18, 2026
Beverley also questioned why Westbrook could not continue playing in the NBA when other guards, including Lonnie Walker, were still finding opportunities.
“When you talk about guards that’s in the NBA and it’s no disrespect to guys that’s on current teams, but when you see Lonnie Walker, and it’s no disrespect to Lonnie Walker, he’s a good friend of mine, but if he can make an NBA team, Russell Westbrook can make an NBA team without a doubt.”
Walker signed a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets this offseason.
Meanwhile, Westbrook also had opportunities to continue his NBA career, as the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards expressed interest in signing him.
The nine-time All-Star was therefore not pushed into retirement because teams had completely lost interest in him. Instead, both interested teams reportedly envisioned him in a reduced role, something Westbrook was unwilling to accept.
The 37-year-old remained a highly productive veteran during his final NBA season with the Kings, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. His production suggested that he still had plenty left to offer on court.
The previous offseason had already left Westbrook frustrated before the Kings ultimately gave him another opportunity to continue his career.
This time around, Sacramento discussed bringing him back in a smaller role behind rookie point guard Darius Acuff, but Westbrook ultimately chose to walk away from the game rather than accept a reduced role.
