Russell Westbrook, popularly known by his nickname ‘Beastbrook,’ is an American professional basketball player for the NBA’s Washington Wizards as a point guard.
He is one of NBA’s finest and amiable superstars.
Russell’s antics on the court is one that speaks of the astounding and outstanding result of combining talent with hard work.
His sophisticated style of play, which has earned him a multitude of awards and honors can be seen in his incredible teamwork approach to victory with teammates.
This article on Russell Westbook’s biography facts, childhood, and personal life presents a notable account from his early life to date.
Other highlights include his basketball/NBA career, achievements and awards, famous quotes, plus other on-screen and off-screen facts about his life.
Table of Contents
Russell Westbrook Biography Facts & Profile
Full Name: | Russell Westbrook III |
---|---|
Nickname: | Beastbrook |
Born: | November 12, 1988 (age 35 years) |
Place of Birth: | Long Beach, California, U.S. |
Nationality: | American |
Height: | 6 feet, 3 inches |
Shoe Size: | 15 |
Weight: | 200 lbs (91 kg) |
Education: | Leuzinger High School, University of California |
Parents: | Shannon Horton (Mother), Russell Westbrook (Father) |
Spouse: | Nina Earl (m. August 29, 2015) |
Children: | Noah Russell Westbrook (Son) |
Occupation: | Basketball Player |
Current Team: | Washington Wizards |
Playing Career: | 2008–present |
Zodiac Sign: | Scorpio |
Russell Westbrook Childhood & Early Life
Russell Westbrook was born on November 12, 1988, in Long Beach, California, and raised in Hawthorne by his parents, Russell Westbrook Jr – father, and Shannon Horton – mother.
Russell has a younger brother named Raynard.
Russell and his best friend Khelcey Barrs III shared the hope of attending UCLA and playing together.
Unfortunately, Barrs died in May 2004 from an enlarged heart during a pickup game.
Russell Westbrook Basketball Career
High School Basketball
Westbrook was appointed point guard while studying in Leuzinger High School.
He was 5 feet 8 inches tall then and had a weight of 140 pounds (64kg) with a large feet size of 14.
However, he was not included in his school’s varsity team until his junior year.
He received his college recruitment letter until the summer before his senior year.
That summer, Westbrook grew to his adult height of 6 feet 3 inches.
While Westbrook was in his senior year, he registered 14 double-doubles and scored 30 or more points about eight different times.
Westbrook was not considered for any top college basketball programs until head coach Ben Howland offered him a scholarship to play for the UCLA Bruins after Jordan Farmer announced his NBA draft decision.
College Basketball
As a freshman during the 2006-2007 season, Westbrook played as a backup to Daren Collision and as a defender.
He adorned the number 0 jersey throughout his college basketball career at UCLA.
After spending two years at UCLA, he decided to enter the 2008 NBA draft and skipped his final two years in college.
Professional/NBA Career
Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2019)
The Seattle SuperSonics, later known as the Oklahoma City Thunder six days after relocating to Oklahoma City, selected Westbrook as its 4th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.
He officially signed with the team on July 5, 2008, and recorded his first career triple-double on March 2, 2009.
Since Chris Paul and the third in Sonics/Thunder franchise history, he became the first rookie to record a triple-double.
Westbrook came fourth in the NBA rookie of the Year voting and was named the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
All-Star & playoff successes (2010–2013)
After an incredible performance in the 2010-2011 season, Westbrook was selected by the NBA head coaches to be a Western Conference reserve for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, marking his first All-Star appearance.
He was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time after a wonderful performance.
The NBA coaches selected Westbrook to take part in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.
After putting up a spectacular performance in the 2011-2012 season, he was voted to the All-NBA Second Team for the second consecutive time.
He helped the Oklahoma Thunder to the NBA finals but lost to the Miami Heat.
In his debut game of the finals, Westbrook registered 27 points and 11 assists, making him the only player aside from Michael Jordan with 25+ points and 10+ assists in an NBA Finals debut.
He also was selected for the NBA All-Star Game.
Westbrook sustained an injury on his right knee after a collision with Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverly in an attempt to steal the ball on April 23, 2011.
Though bothered by the injury, Westbrook continued playing and registered 29 points.
It was revealed the next day that he sustained a slight tear in his right meniscus.
He was declared out for the rest of the playoff after undergoing surgery on April 27, 2013.
Westbrook was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the third year in a row.
Injury and Comeback (2013–2015)
Before the start of the 2013-2014 season, Westbrook had another surgery on his right knee, delaying his return to basketball.
It was reported that Westbrook would miss two weeks of the season but missed the first two games.
On December 25, 2013, he corded the eight triple-double on Christmas Day in NBA history in a 123-94 victory over the New York Knicks where he registered 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The next day, it was declared that Westbrook would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, which will see him out of play until the All-Star break.
The Oklahoma Thunder still remained a formidable contender as Kevin Durant filled the void left by Westbrook’s absence.
He returned to action on February 20, 2014, though he played the remainder of the season on limited minutes.
He recorded his second triple-double of the season in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, which was the second-fastest triple-double recorded in NBA history.
The Oklahoma Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
In game 4 of the finals in a victory over the San Antonio Spur, Westbrook registered 20 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 5 steals, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to register such numbers in a playoff game.
In a season opener game of 2014-2015 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook registered 38 points.
In the next game against the Los Angeles Clippers, he sustained a minor fracture of the second metacarpal in his right hand, which made him miss 14 games.
He joined Kevin Durant, who also suffered a fracture in his right foot during the preseason and was out of play for eight weeks.
In the absence of both players, the Oklahoma Thunder dropped in form.
However, in a comeback game against the New York Knicks, he led the team to a victory with 32 points.
Durant made a comeback the next game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The duo helped the Oklahoma Thunder to a seven-game winning streak, making the Oklahoma Thunder a playoff contender.
After setbacks due to injury the previous season, Westbrook made a comeback to the All-Star game in 2015.
He scored 41 points and was named the All-Star MVP.
Westbrook set an All-Star record for points in a half after scoring 27 points in 11 minutes, finishing one-point shy of Wilt Chamberlain All-Star game record set in 1962.
On February 24, 2015, he registered 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Indiana Pacers, claiming his third triple-double of the season and 11th of his career.
Westbrook recorded 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, making him the first player to secure three consecutive triple-doubles since LeBron James in 2009.
He reached a career-high of 49 points and 16th rebounds and added 10 assists to his fourth straight triple-doubles in a 123-118 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
He became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to secure four consecutive triple-doubles and to have back-to-back triple-doubles with a minimum of 40 points.
That also became the most points scored by a player with triple-doubles since Larry Bird in 1992.
His triple-double streaks ended the next night in a 105-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls, where he registered 43 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
He recorded his fifth triple-double in a win over the 108-104 Toronto Raptors.
Coming up short (2015–2016)
Westbrook and Kevin Durant began the 2015-2016 season by dropping 40 points in a match against the Orlando Magic which made them the first teammates to meet the feat multiple times in NBA history, having done it in 2012.
In December, they became the first teammates to have at least 25 points each and 10 assists in a regulation game since 1996 in a game against the Denver Nuggets.
Westbrook was named Western Conference player of the month for December alongside Kevin Durant.
He became the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 15 points, 15 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game after recording 16 points, 15 assists, 5 steals, and 8 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets.
Westbrook was voted to start in his first All-Star Game in 2016 and earned his second MVP award.
He recorded his 11th triple-double in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
MVP & first triple-double season (2016–2017)
After Kevin Durant’s departure and with the Westbrook contract set to expire in 2017, the Oklahoma Thunder held off trade talks to work out a contract extension.
Westbrook signed a three-year contract extension worth $95.7 million with the Thunder on August 4, 2016.
He recorded his 38th career regular-season triple-double in a win over the Phoenix Suns with 51 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, making him the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 on October 28.
On October 30th, Westbrook scored 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists in a win over the LA Lakers, which made him join the ranks of Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Jerry Lucas as the only players in NBA history to register a triple-double in the first three games of a season.
Forty-one games into the season, he became the first player to average a triple-double in an entire season.
He recorded 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for his 20th triple-double in a season in a win over the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook joined Oscar Robertson, who achieved the feat five times, and Wilt Chamberlain two times as the only NBA players in history to register 20 triple-doubles in a season.
Westbrook recorded three consecutive triple-doubles coming out of the All-star break earning him the 67th of his career and 30th in the season.
He matched Wilt Chamberlain’s record for the second-most triple-doubles in a season on March 9, in a match against the San Antonio Spurs.
Westbrook surpassed Wilt Chamberlain’s record on March 11, with his 32nd triple-double.
He tied with Oscar Robertson‘s 41 triple-doubles in a season in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 4.
He also tied with Wilt Chamberlain for the fourth on the career list with his 78th triple-double.
Westbrook joined Robertson to average triple-doubles for a season three days later.
He broke Robertson‘s record-triple-doubles in a season in an away victory over the Denver Nuggets on April 9.
Also, he moved fourth place for most triple-doubles in a season, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 78.
At the first-ever NBA Awards show on June 26, 2017, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award recipient.
Second triple-double season (2017–2018)
Westbrook signed a five-year contract extension worth $205 million with the Thunder in the 2018–2019 NBA season.
The deal was the biggest guaranteed contract in NBA history.
Westbrook continued his triple-double pattern in a season opener in a game against the New York Knicks on October 19.
Westbrook became the first player in league history against 29 different opponents on October 28, after registering 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 101-69 win over the Chicago Bulls.
He recorded his 10th triple-double of the season in a 119-119 triple-overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers, where he recorded 27 points, 18 rebounds, and 15 assists.
Westbrook became the 112th NBA player to record 16,000 career points in a 97-95 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he registered 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Houston Rockets (2019–2020)
On July 16, OKC traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and some other players.
He Reunited with his former teammate James Harden — they shared a mutual interest in playing together.
Westbrook made his debut for the Rockets on October 24, 2019, in a 117–111 loss against Milwaukee Bucks.
He led the team with a season opener record of 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists in just 33 minutes.
On October 26, 2019, his second game with the rockets, he passed Magic Johnson’s career triple-doubles to become the second all-time in a 126–123 win over New Orleans Pelicans, registering 28-point, 13-assist, and 10-rebounds.
He got his third successive triple-double on December 7, 2019, registering 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, moving up to the 18th spot in the list of NBA all-time career assists.
By January 2020, he became the third player in the league’s history to record 19,000 points, 7,000 assists, and 6,000 rebounds.
Washington Wizards (2020–present)
Westbrook was traded to the Wizards for John Wall on December 2, 2020.
He made his debut on December 28, in a in a 113–107 loss to the 76ers, with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists.
In his debut game, Westbrook became the sixth player in the league’s history to put up a triple-double in a franchise debut.
National Team Career
Westbrook debuted for the US National Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
The team was without an All-Star or a member from the Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medal team, so Westbrook was considered a star.
The USA team went on to claim the tournament undefeated making it their first World Championship since 1994.
The win automatically qualified the team for the London 2012 Olympics, where he claimed his second gold medal and made the team overtake Argentina for the No. 1 spot in the world ranking.
Westbrook turned down an invitation to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Russel Westbrook Personal Life
Wife
Russell Westbrook married his college sweetheart Nina Earl on August 29, 2015.
They both have three children, their first named Noah Russell Westbrook, born on May 16, 2017, and twin daughters they welcomed in 2018.
Trivia
Westbrook often wears a “KB3” wristband and has “KB3” on his sneakers in honor of his childhood friend, who he shared the hopes of playing together with Khelcey Barrs.
Westbrook has endorsement deals with the Jordan Brand, Kings, and Jaxs Boxer Briefs.
He is the global face of Mountain Dew Kickstart.
Westbrook founded Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation to inspire children, teach them never to give up, and empower them to ask “Why Not?”
Russell Westbrook Achievements, Awards & Career Highlights
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2017)
- 9-times NBA All-Star (2011–2013, 2015–2020)
- 2-times NBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016)
- 2-times All-NBA First Team (2016, 2017)
- 5-times All-NBA Second Team (2011–2013, 2015, 2018)
- 2-times All-NBA Third Team (2019, 2020)
- 2-times NBA scoring champion (2015, 2017)
- 2-times NBA assists leader (2018, 2019)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2009)
- Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (2008)
- Third Team All-Pac-10 (2008)
- Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (2008)
Russell Westbrook Quotes
“There’s no reason to hold yourself back and say you can’t do something in life unless you go for it and try to do it”
— Russell Westbrook
“Every day when I get on the floor I give it my all and play because you never know what tomorrow holds”
— Russell Westbrook
“I’m never satisfied. I’m always trying to get better and learn from my mistake”s
— Russell Westbrook
“I say “Why not” to everything”
— Russell Westbrook
“You see how can you help your team, help yourself improve, and that’s what I try to figure out throughout the season”
— Russell Westbrook
“You gotta win; that’s all I care about”
— Russell Westbrook
“My friends and I started that motto early in high school—that attitude, that mentality—from way back then. Want to go to Stanford? Why not? Want to play in the NBA? Why not?”
— Russell Westbrook
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