Russell Westbrook III, an American professional basketball player, is now a point guard for Los Angeles Lakers. He has changed three teams in three years; he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2019 and then to the Washington Wizards in 2020. After a season with the Wizards, he ended up with the Lakers in 2021.
He started his career in the NBA with Oklahoma City Thunder.
He was the Most Valuable Player in 2017.
On top of that, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. He also received two gold medals with the United States national team.
Besides that, he is known as the husband of former basketball player Nina Earl. She played collegiate basketball for the University of California, Los Angeles.
Despite much anticipation from the media and fans, she did not join the WNBA.
With his basketball skills and hard work, it is no surprise that he is one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
According to Forbes, he ranked number 12 worldwide and was also one of 2020’s highest-paid NBA players.
In Lakers history, he became the first player to put multiple triple-doubles off the bench in 2022.
Before getting into details about the former Rockets’ point guard’s life and career, here are some quick facts about him.
Quick Facts | Russell Westbrook
| Full Name | Russell Westbrook III |
| Birth Date | November 12, 1988 |
| Birth Place | Long Beach, California, The United States |
| Nick Name | Beastbrook |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Education | University Of California, Los Angeles |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Father’s Name | Russell Westbrook Jr. |
| Mother’s Name | Shannon Horton |
| Siblings | One; Raynard Westbrook |
| Age | 35 Years Old |
| Height | 6 feet 3 inches (190 cm) (1.90 m) |
| Weight | 200 lbs (91 kgs) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | NBA Player |
| Current Team | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Position | Point Guard |
| Active Years | 2008 – Present |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Nina Earl |
| Kids | Three; Noah, Skye, And Jordyn Westbrook |
| Net Worth | $170 Million – $200 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Poster, Book, Rookie Card |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Russell Westbrook | Early Life, Family, & Education
Russell Westbrook III was born in Long Beach, California, United States. His parents are Russell Westbrook Jr. and Shannon Horton.
His father is a former basketball player. Although he never played professionally, he was well-known for his college career.
Russell’s dad was very athletic and played other sports too.
The Westbrook family didn’t have much growing up, but they made the best out of everything.
Russell’s parents always inspired him to be the best at whatever he did.
They supported his career choice and encouraged him to pursue basketball.
The NBA player also has a brother named Raynard Westbrook.
He played college-level football at the University of Central Oklahoma. The brothers are very close and bonded over their love for sports.
The point guard attended a public high school called Leuzinger High School. He had an exceptional high school career with the Leuzinger Olympians.
He was offered a scholarship to join the UCLA Bruins. However, he didn’t finish college. He entered the NBA Draft after his sophomore year.
Russell Westbrook | Age, Height, & Weight
The point guard turned 35 on November 12, 2024. He takes excellent care of his health and diet.
Hence, he is very fit and in shape, and he is 1.90 m tall and weighs 200 lb.
Russell Westbrook | Basketball Career
High School And College Career
Russell played high school basketball for Leuzinger High School. Although he was initially under 1.82 m, he grew to 1.90 m.
He didn’t receive many scholarship offers. Eventually, UCLA’s head coach offered Westbrook a scholarship. He played for the Bruins for two years before entering the 2008 NBA Draft.
In his two years with UCLA, he was on the All-Pac-10 Third Team and won the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.
Late But Craziest Growth Spurt
Russell is one of the most talented and aggressive players in the NBA. He can grab a triple-double in any game quickly. But did you know that his growth did not come that easy?
Westbrook was just 1.73 m as a freshman in high school and rose to 1.75 m, a little growth during his junior year.
Sources say he wasn’t athletic and could not even score well.
Russell joined UCLA for recruitment but didn’t perform matching his potential in the training camp. As aforementioned, Kerry Keating, the assisting coach of UCLA, caught the spark despite his ignorance, mistakes, and shortened height.
Since then, Russel was guided enough enduringly to get selected on UCLA’s roster and showed significant growth in height and performance.
Just to add, his mother is around 1.70 m, and his father stands at 1.73 m. Russell’s brother, Raynard Westbrook, finds him lucky to have inherited the good genes as he is only 1.68 m.
Russell’s growth spurt is either about the genes or the result of his hard work on the court. We don’t know that, but the growth spurt is impressive.
High School Achievements
- First-team All-CIF Division I
- Third-team All-State
- 2× Most Valuable Player of the Bay League
College Achievements
- 2008 All-Pac-10 Third Team
- 2008 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
- 2008 Pac-10 All-Tournament Team
- 2008 Pac-10 All-Defensive Team
- 2008 CollegeInsider.com All-Defensive Team
NBA Career
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunders selected Westbrook in the first round as the fourth pick overall. In his first season, he was on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He also assisted the Oklahoma team in reaching the playoffs in his second season.
Then in 2011, he was selected for the NBA All-Star Game. He was on the All-NBA Second Team. He was again picked for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.
Westbrook helped the Thunders reach the NBA finals that year. However, they lost to the Miami Heat.
Russell helped Oklahoma City to qualify for the playoffs again. They were also the first seed of the Western Conference.
Westbrook suffered an injury later that year which put him out for the rest of the 2013 season. Thunders were eventually eliminated, but the point guard became a three-time All-NBA Second Team.
He was selected for the 2015 All-Star game, where he was the All-Star MVP. He became the MVP for the second time in 2016.
The former Bruins even started the 2016 All-Star game.
He signed an $85.7 million contract extension for three years with the Thunders.
The father of three won the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player Award. Besides that, he was well-known for signing the largest contract in NBA history the same year. His final season with the Oklahoma City Thunders was the 2018-19 season.
Houston Rockets
For the 2019-20 season, Westbrook was traded to the Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul. He got to play with James Harden on the Houston team again.
The former UCLA player played great until the pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the season. Furthermore, he tested positive for Covid-19.
He recovered later and joined the Rockets for the rest of the league at Disney World in Orlando.
Russell failed to achieve the level of success he had with the Thunders. The season’s records were Russell’s worst postseason career records.
Washington Wizards
After much speculation, the point guard left the Rockets. Initially, many fans linked his request for a trade to his poor performance. Many rumors suggested otherwise.
Several media outlets reported some tensions between Westbrook and Harden resulted in his trade.
Los Angeles Lakers
On August 6, 2021, Russell joined the Lakers, and this is the third time he was traded in three years.
2022
For the 2022- 2023 season, Westbrook earned a base salary of $47,063,478 while carrying a cap hit of $47,063,478 and a dead cap value of $47,063,478 after signing by the Los Angeles Lakers.
On August 1, 2022, Russell changed his agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman, to Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports for his representation.
On October 28, 2022, Westbrook chipped in 18 points and 8 rebounds in a 111–102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves after his rookie season as he came off the bench.
Later with 23,335 points on a second-quarter free throw, he passed Robert Parish for 29th on the all-time scoring list.
In December 2022, Westbrook recorded his first triple-double off the bench in a 133–122 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Again, Westbrook put up a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists off the bench in a 128–106 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Not only that, but in Lakers history, he became the first player to put up multiple triple-doubles off the bench.
Awards And Accolades
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2017)
- 9× NBA All-Star (2011–2013, 2015–2020)
- 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016)
- 2× All-NBA First Team (2016, 2017)
- 5× All-NBA Second Team (2011–2013, 2015, 2018)
- 2× All-NBA Third Team (2019, 2020)
- 2× NBA scoring champion (2015, 2017)
- 3× NBA assists leader (2018, 2019, 2021)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2009)
Heated Interaction With Fans
The NBA fined Westbrook for his inappropriate interaction with Utah Jazz fans.
He can be seen cursing at the fans during a game. The fans reportedly told him to get down on his knees like he used to.
The guard found the comments to be completely disrespectful and racial.
As a result, Beastbrook had a heated exchange with the fans, where he used some explicit words. Hence, he paid $25,000 for “directing profanity” and using “threatening language.”
Jazz fan completely disagrees with the narrative. He asserted that neither he nor his wife cursed or said anything improper.
The Utah Jazz banned the fan from attending their future events at the arena.
Russell Westbrook | Marriage & Kids
The Lakers point guard is married to Nina Earl. The Westbrook couple met in college and have been together since.
On top of that, Earl is a basketball player. She played forward for the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team.
However, she didn’t pursue a professional basketball career but advanced her studies and obtained Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
The former forward also has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Earl is a licensed therapist who specializes in marriage and family therapy.
Nina is also a businesswoman. She owns a boutique named The Little Ark and is the founder of Minibrook.
The two got engaged after the NBA player proposed with a stunning $700,000 ring. Then they were married at Beverly Hills Hotel on August 29, 2015.
The pair has three kids together. They welcomed their first and only son Noah Russell Westbrook on May 16, 2017.
Similarly, the college sweethearts were blessed with beautiful twin daughters. They are Skye Westbrook and Jordyn Westbrook, born in September 2020.
Also, there was news that sparked on the internet when Nina slammed Stephen A. Smith when he criticized her husband.
Moreover, Russell wears a “KB3” wristband and has “KB3” on his sneaks in honor of his childhood buddy Khelcey Barrs III.
Injury (2018 – 2022)
| DATE | INJURY |
|---|---|
| 10/26/22 | Hamstring |
| 2/9/22 | Back |
| 1/29/22 | Knee |
| 12/16/21 | Health And Safety Protocols |
| 5/28/21 | Ankle |
| 3/17/21 | Quad |
| 2/7/21 | Rest |
| 2/3/21 | Rest |
| 1/27/21 | Rest |
| 1/23/21 | Quad |
| 1/9/21 | Quad |
| 1/6/21 | Finger |
| 1/1/21 | Rest |
| 8/12/20 | Quad |
| 8/11/20 | Quad |
| 8/5/20 | Quad |
| 7/13/20 | Illness |
| 3/6/20 | Rest |
| 2/24/20 | Thumb |
| 2/3/20 | Thumb |
| 1/13/20 | Rest |
| 1/6/20 | Rest |
| 12/29/19 | Rest |
| 11/15/19 | Rest |
| 11/5/18 | Left Ankle Sprain |
| 10/27/18 | Shoulder |
| 9/13/18 | Knee |
| 2/7/18 | Sprained Left Ankle |
Russell Westbrook | Net Worth & Salary
The NBA player has a spectacular net worth. He has built a majority of his wealth through basketball.
He is worth over $170 million – $200 million. Westbrook will earn $56.5 million from his deals and endorsements in the current years.
He is the fifth highest-paid NBA player 2024, as stated by basketnews.com. The father of three is also one of the world’s highest-paid athletes and ranks at number 6.
In a list with LeBron James and Stephen Curry as the top two, he ranks at number 4. Beastbrook is right below Kevin Durant and right above James Harden.
Besides that, he earns $18 million through endorsements alone.
He is well-known for signing the biggest contract in franchise history worth $205 million. Many popular brands and companies sponsor him.
He has also signed the largest contract in Jordan brand history worth between $150 million – $200 million.
Russell inked a heavy contract with Kings and Jaxs Boxer Briefs in November 2013. He mentioned, “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.”
In February 2015, Russel was hired as the Marketing Creative Director of the now-folded denim brand True Religion.
He also became the global face of Mountain Dew Kickstart after signing with Pepsico.
Russell Westbrook | Social Media Presence
The athlete is active on various social media platforms. He has an Instagram handle with almost 21.2 million followers. He usually shares basketball-related content.
The point guard is a family guy and often poses for pictures with his parents and brother.
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) June 28, 2022
Through his platform, he has raised awareness against racial injustice in America. He has shown his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Besides that, he has a Twitter account with 6.9 million followers. Russell joined in 2009 and has over five thousand tweets. He mostly tweets and shares basketball-related news, highlights, and training.
Many high-profile celebrities and fellow athletes follow him. He is known to have a kind heart.
Westbrook does his best to give back to the community. The basketballer recently gave out Thanksgiving meals through his foundation, “Russell Westbrook Why Not.”
Facts
- In 2017, he signed a five-year, $205-million contract extension to stay with the Thunder till the 2022–23 season.
- Although he shoots his right hand, he uses his left hand to write.
- Russell Westbrook went to the University of California, Los Angeles, from 2006 to 2008.
Popularity Graph
Russell’s graph illustrates a good amount of fluctuation and depicts his popularity percentage.
We can conclude that his search percentage isn’t low.
FAQs
Why did Russell Westbrook leave the Rockets?
After playing the 2019-20 season with the Rockets, he left the team. He currently plays for the Lakers. It was rumored that Russell didn’t get along with point guard James Harden which led him to leave the team.
Is Russell Westbrook married?
Russell is married to Nina Earl. The two met at UCLA and are college sweethearts. She also played collegiate basketball. She was a forward for the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team.
After that, she graduated with a Bachelors’s and Master’s degree in Psychology. As of now, she is a licensed therapist.
Besides that, she owns The Little Ark and is the founder of Minibrook. Westbrook and Earl married at Beverly Hills on August 29, 2015.
Is Russell Westbrook a free agent?
As per the sources, no, not yet. Also, he was restricted from being traded until August 5, 2021. For 2022-23, Westbrook earned a base salary of $47,063,478 while carrying a cap hit of $47,063,478 and a dead cap value of $47,063,478 after signing by the Los Angeles Lakers.
