Russell Westbrook Facts | Britannica

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  • Introduction
  • Early life and college career
  • Star NBA guard
  • Later career
  • Personal life
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook Contents Home Sports & Recreation Basketball Russell Westbrook: Facts & Related Content Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/facts/Russell-Westbrook Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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News •

Russell Westbrook Punished by NBA for Incident During Kings-Pistons Game • Dec. 24, 2025, 4:34 PM ET (Newsweek) ...(Show more) NBA’s Westbrook, Nick Gross Back Oklahoma City Soccer Project • Dec. 15, 2025, 9:31 PM ET (Bloomberg.com) Show less American professional basketball player Russell Westbrook was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 as the fourth overall pick of the draft. After Kevin Durant made a surprise exit from the Thunder in 2016, the team retooled around Westbrook, who went on to make National Basketball Association history during the 2016–17 season by logging 42 triple-double games—the league record for the most triple-double games in a single season—and by averaging a triple-double, a feat he repeated during the 2017–18 regular season.

Facts

Also Known As Russell Westbrook III
Born November 12, 1988 (age 37) • Long Beach • California
Awards And Honors Olympic Games • Most Valuable Player • NBA Most Valuable Player (2016–17) • 2x NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player • 9 NBA All-Star selections • 8 All-NBA selections • 2x NBA assists leader • 2x NBA scoring leader • selected for NBA All-Rookie Team, 2008–09
Notable Family Members son of Russell Westbrook, Jr. • son of Shannon Horton • married to Nina Earl (2015–present) • father of Noah Westbrook (b. 2017) • father of Jordyn Westbrook (b. 2018) • father of Skye Westbrook (b. 2018) • brother of Raynard Westbrook
Education Leuzinger High School (Lawndale, California) • University of California, Los Angeles (2006–2008)
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg)
Position point guard
Shoots right-handed
Jersey Number 0 (Houston Rockets, 2020) • 0 (Oklahoma City Thunder, 2009–2019)
Team Houston Rockets
Draft Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round (fourth pick, fourth overall) of the 2008 NBA draft.
Debut In Nba October 29, 2008
Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In) "Henry Danger" (2014)
Twitter Handle @russwest44
Instagram Username russwest44
Olympic Games (Competed) London 2012
Olympic Medals gold in men's basketball (London 2012)

Top Questions

What pick was Russell Westbrook in the draft? Russell Westbrook was the fourth overall pick of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft in 2008. Where did Russell Westbrook go to college? Russell Westbrook attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 2006 to 2008. How tall is Russell Westbrook? Russell Westbrook stands 6 feet 3 inches (1.90 metres) tall. What hand does Russell Westbrook write with? Although Russell Westbrook shoots with his right hand, he writes with his left hand. How much did Russell Westbrook sign for? When Russell Westbrook was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder (then called the Seattle SuperSonics) in 2008, he signed a contract whose terms were not released. In 2017 he signed the biggest contract in NBA history: a five-year, $205-million contract extension in which he agreed to stay with the Thunder through the 2022–23 season.

Did You Know?

  • Before basketball games, Westbrook eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, prepared exclusively with strawberry jelly and SKIPPY-brand peanut butter.
  • Westbrook wasn't able to dunk until his senior year of high school.

Photos

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook See All Images → James Harden James Harden American basketball player LeBron James LeBron James American basketball player Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant American basketball player Chris Paul Chris Paul American basketball player Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant Carmelo Anthony American basketball player Michael Jordan Michael Jordan American basketball player Magic Johnson Magic Johnson American basketball player “The Mailman” Karl Malone American basketball player Hayes of the Washington Bullets dunking the ball over Phil Jackson (18) and Bob McAdoo of the New York Knicks, 1977 Elvin Hayes American basketball player Spencer Haywood Spencer Haywood American basketball player Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille O’Neal American basketball player Bill Walton Bill Walton American basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Olajuwon American basketball player Moses Malone Moses Malone American basketball player Stephen Curry Stephen Curry American basketball player Scottie Pippen Scottie Pippen American basketball player Oscar Robertson Oscar Robertson American basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Canadian basketball player Steve Nash Steve Nash Canadian basketball player Phil Jackson Phil Jackson American basketball player and coach

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