Russell Westbrook III, born November 12, 1988, is an American professional basketball player known for his explosive playing style as a point guard.
He made his NBA debut in 2008 with the Seattle SuperSonics, later relocating to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he became a star.
Westbrook is a nine-time NBA All-Star and won the MVP award in 2017.
He has averaged a triple-double for a season four times and holds the record for the most career triple-doubles in NBA history.
Recently, Westbrook was waived by the Utah Jazz and is expected to sign with the Denver Nuggets.
Siblings
Russell has two older brothers, Raynard and Tony, and a younger sister named Nina. His siblings have been very supportive of his basketball career.
Raynard Westbrook, the younger brother, is Russell’s biggest fan and supporter. He has defended Russell when he had a career-low season last year.
Raynard was born on May 2, 1991, in Long Beach, California.
He completed his graduation from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2015, with his diploma personally handed to him by Russell.
Raynard is now one of the Board of Directors at Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation.
Russell’s other brother, Tony Westbrook, also played basketball at the college level. His younger sister Nina is a track and field athlete.
Russell has said that his siblings have helped him stay grounded and focused on his goals.
College career
Westbrook played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins from 2006 to 2008.
He was a backup point guard as a freshman in 2006-07, playing 9 minutes per game and averaging 3.4 points.
As a sophomore in 2007-08, Westbrook became the starting point guard.
He averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, earning Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and third-team All-Pac-10 honors.
Westbrook helped lead UCLA to the Pac-10 regular season and tournament titles, as well as the Final Four of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
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Over his two seasons at UCLA, Westbrook played in 75 games with 35 starts, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
He finished his college career with a 65-10 record and two Pac-10 championships before declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft, where he was selected 4th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics.
NBA career
Westbrook’s NBA career began in 2008 when he was selected fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics, which soon became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In his rookie season, he averaged 15.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game, quickly establishing himself as a dynamic player.
Westbrook’s rise to stardom continued in the 2010-2011 season when he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time, averaging 21.9 points, 8.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
He played a crucial role in leading the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012, where they faced the Miami Heat. Although the Thunder lost, his performance solidified his status as one of the league’s top guards.
The pinnacle of Westbrook’s career came during the 2016-2017 season when he made history by averaging a triple-double for the entire season, recording stats of 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game.
This remarkable achievement had not been accomplished since Oscar Robertson in 1962.
For his efforts, Westbrook won the NBA MVP award and was named to the All-NBA First Team, further cementing his legacy in the league.
In 2019, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul and draft picks.
Westbrook adapted to a new role alongside James Harden, focusing on driving to the basket and facilitating plays, and averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists during the 2019-2020 season.
The following year, he was traded to the Washington Wizards, where he continued to excel, averaging a triple-double for the season with 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists, helping lead the Wizards to the playoffs.
In 2021, Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, joining superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The season brought high expectations, but the team faced challenges and Westbrook faced criticism for his performance, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists.
After a tumultuous season, Westbrook was waived by the Utah Jazz in 2022 and subsequently signed by the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2023.
His experience and playmaking ability provided a boost to the Clippers as they sought to contend in the playoffs.
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