Magic Johnson Congratulates Russell Westbrook On Retirement

Jan 30, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Magic Johnson Congratulates Russell Westbrook On Retirement

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Corey Hansford | Last updated Aug 15, 2026 10:10 AM ET

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The NBA is now without one of its staples of the league as point guard Russell Westbrook announced his retirement after 18 years in the league. Westbrook spent most of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but also had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, where he finished his career.

Westbrook was beloved by his teammates and opponents for always playing every game with as much energy and effort as possible while also being one of the most dynamic athletes to ever play the point guard position. One of many to congratulate him on his retirement was Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who took to social media and called Westbrook the most athletic point guard in NBA history:

I want to congratulate Russell Westbrook on his retirement from the NBA after an extraordinary hall of fame basketball career! Russell’s the most athletic point guard that the NBA has ever seen and his dominance led him to become the NBA’s all-time leader in regular season…

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 13, 2026

Johnson would continue on with his praise of Westbrook, noting not only his mindset on the court, but also all of the great things he did off of it:

The two things I admire most about Russell – he never cheated the game, and his passion for giving back to Los Angeles through his numerous philanthropic endeavors. May God continue to bless him and his family!

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 13, 2026

Westbrook’s off-court philanthropy is something that doesn’t get nearly enough praise as it should as he has always been someone who remains active in his community. While he will have his fans and detractors of his style of play, there is no denying that he is a great human being at heart and does so much to uplift people around the world.

Now that his career is over he will be able to put his focus towards other things and will undoubtedly make an impact wherever he chooses. And it is only a matter of time before he joins Johnson in the Hall of Fame as he is a shoo-in to be inducted once he is eligible.

Magic Johnson congratulates Bob Iger, Josh Kushner on purchase of Lakers

Johnson has had plenty of congratulations in store recently as he also took time to praise Bob Iger, whom he knows very well, and Josh Kushner, for their purchase of the Lakers franchise.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Lakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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