{
  "id": 17953537,
  "title": "Why OKC Thunder fans should bring the tissues to Russell Westbrook jersey retirement",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/why-okc-thunder-fans-should-bring-the-tissues-to-russell-westbrook",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-03T11:16:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-okc-thunder-fans-bring-111625941.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Oklahoma City fans will need tissues on February 7 when Russell Westbrook’s jersey is retired at the Oklahoma City rafters. The two men have been discussing the ceremony since August when Westbrook announced his retirement. Although Westbrook was in town to receive the Oklahoma Standard Award, his emotions took over as he spoke about his time in Oklahoma City. He expressed gratitude for the city's support, which helped him become the best version of himself. Westbrook thanked the fans for welcoming him with open arms when he arrived from Los Angeles, a place he didn't know anyone. He further stated that their support during his toughest moments meant everything to him, something he will never be able to repay. The announcement of the retirement ceremony comes just before the new downtown arena's completion, making it a perfect night to honor Westbrook's legacy.",
  "summary": "OKC saw lots of faces of Russell Westbrook during his Thunder career. But Monday when his jersey retirement was announced, he showed a different look.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}