Russell Westbrook

BIOGRAPHY

Russell Westbrook, III was born on November 12, 1988, in Long Beach, California. He is a point guard in the NBA.

He and his brother, Raynard, were raised in the inner city of Los Angeles by their parents, Russell, Jr. and Shannon Westbrook. Russell's father trained him and Raynard in football and then basketball while Shannon made sure they were equally focused on academics.

Entering Leuzinger High School at just 5 ft 8 in and 140 pounds Russell was not immediately a stand out player and did not start on the school's varsity basketball team until his junior year. While he did not receive much attention from top basketball schools, he continued to work hard with the support of his family and friends. Russell's senior year he averaged over 25 points per game and led Leuzinger to a 25-4 record and then graduated with honors and a 3.9 GPA.

High school is where Russell's mantra of "Why Not?" was born. Every time he, his friends and his family faced adversity instead of being defeated they asked themselves, "Why Not?" and worked even harder. Russell was offered a scholarship to UCLA and was able to further his education and continue to play basketball in his hometown of Los Angeles. During his time with the Bruins they went to back-to-back Final Fours and he was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.

After two years at UCLA Russell opted to leave school and pursue a professional career. Many thought this was the wrong decision but Russell believed in himself and "Why Not?". He was selected fourth overall by the Seattle Supersonics in the 2008 NBA draft, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder shortly thereafter.

He is a nine-time NBA All-Star and earned the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2016–17 season. He is also an eight-time All-NBA Team member, led the league in scoring in 2014–15 and 2016–17, and won back-to-back NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, the year he won the league MVP award, Westbrook became one of two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, along with Oscar Robertson in 1962. He also set a record for the most triple-doubles in a season, with 42. He went on to average a triple-double the following two seasons also, as well as lead the league in assists and become the first player to lead the league in points and assists in multiple seasons. He ranks first all-time in career triple-doubles in NBA history.

Russell's accomplishments go far beyond the basketball court as he started the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation in 2012. His foundation is dedicated to inspiring the lives of children, empowering them to ask "Why Not?" and teaching them to never give up.

Giving back to his community is important to Russell and he was recognized for his philanthropic efforts in 2015 when he received the NBA's season long Community Assist Award.

In 2015 Russell married his college sweetheart, Nina, who also played basketball at UCLA. Nina is a marriage and family therapist and owns a children's and lifestyle boutique in Oklahoma City. Russell and Nina are the proud parents of a son, Noah, and twin girls Skye and Jordyn.

On July 29, 2021, Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell pope, and a first round pick. 

On February 22, 2023, Westbrook signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, reuniting with his former Thunder teammate Paul George. Westbrook became a starter with the Clippers. On February 24, Westbrook made his Clippers debut, putting up 17 points and 14 assists in a 176–175 double overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. According to Bleacher Report, Westbrook "looked rejuvenated" after joining the Clippers.