Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has played for five NBA teams.
No. 0 – Los Angeles Clippers
November 12, 1988
Long Beach, California, U.S.
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
UCLA (2006–2008)
2008: 1st round, 4th overall pick
2008–present
Westbrook played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and earned third-team all-conference honors in the Pac-10. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma City that same week. Westbrook played for the Thunder for 11 seasons. He appeared in the NBA Finals as a member of the Thunder in 2012, losing to the Miami Heat. In 2019, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets, playing one season for the organization before being traded again to the Washington Wizards in 2020. After a season in Washington, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021. Following two relatively disappointing seasons with the Lakers, Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz in 2023 and was bought out of his contract, joining the Los Angeles Clippers later in the 2022–23 season.
A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Westbrook is a nine-time NBA All-Star and earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the 2016–17 season. He is also a nine-time All-NBA Team member; a two-time NBA scoring leader, having led the league in 2014–15 and 2016–17; a three-time NBA assists leader; and a back-to-back NBA All-Star Game MVP. Westbrook is one of two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. He has achieved that feat four times and is the all-time NBA leader in career triple-doubles. Westbrook is known for his ability to score near the basket, his rebounding, his durability, and his intensity as a competitor.
Westbrook has represented the United States national team twice, winning gold medals in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics.
Early life
Russell Westbrook III[1] was born in Long Beach, California, to Russell Westbrook Jr. and Shannon Horton. He has a younger brother named Raynard.[2] Growing up in Hawthorne,[3][4][5] Westbrook and his best friend Khelcey Barrs III had hopes of going to UCLA and playing together.[6] At age 16, Barrs was already known to have excellent basketball skills and received college scholarship offers.[7] In May 2004, Barrs died from an enlarged heart during a pick-up game.[8][9] After Barrs' death, Westbrook seemed even more determined to excel in honor of his best friend's memory.[7] Westbrook never fails to wear a "KB3" wristband in loving memory of his best friend.
Business interests
Endorsements
In October 2012, Westbrook signed with the Jordan Brand.[188] His first commercial was with the Jordan Brand and Champs in which a high school athlete purchased Jordan gear from Champs and transformed into Westbrook and won a state championship.[189] In 2017, Westbrook signed a 10-year extension with Jordan Brand that gave him the largest total endorsement deal of any athlete sponsored by the brand.[190]
In November 2013, Westbrook signed with Kings and Jaxs Boxer Briefs. He stated: "I have always loved fashion so working with Kings & Jaxs was a natural fit as we both have a fearless and creative approach to style."[191] He signed with PepsiCo to become the global face of Mountain Dew Kickstart.[192]
Film
Westbrook made his production debut with Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre about the Tulsa race massacre,[197] which was inspired by his time playing in Oklahoma City.[198] It received three Primetime Emmy nominations in 2021. He produced the short film Why Not? in a collaboration with Jordan Brand.[197] He also produced his autobiographical documentary, Passion Play: Russell Westbrook, which debuted on Showtime in 2021.[199]
Personal life
Westbrook and his wife have three children: one son and twin daughters.[200][201]
Westbrook wears a "KB3" wristband and has "KB3" on his sneakers in honor of his childhood friend Khelcey Barrs III.[9] In 2012, he started the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, which promotes community-based education and family service programs while pushing youngsters to be self-confident.[202]