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NBA legend Russell Westbrook could not dunk a basketball till his senior yr of highschool. Now, with 652 (and counting), he holds the report for probably the most dunks by any level guard because the NBA started monitoring play-by-play knowledge in 1996. To outsiders, this achievement appears unbelievable. For Westbrook, it is a testomony to the easy mantra he lives by: Why not?
“Why not?” is greater than only a catchy slogan for the 2017 MVP. What began as an inside joke between center faculty buddies has advanced right into a supply of inspiration. “It is a confidence builder,” Westbrook explains. “It is a swagger, a perception that you are able to do something you place your thoughts to.”
The Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder) drafted Westbrook fourth general in 2008, and the remaining is historical past. However regardless of his NBA accolades and immense wealth, Westbrook hasn’t forgotten his roots. He continues to channel his “Why not?” mantra into enterprise and philanthropy, even making it the identify of his basis.
Rising Above Adversity
Earlier than changing into a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook was simply one other child from South Central Los Angeles, a neighborhood celebrated for its cultural vibrancy however typically overshadowed by points like gang violence and poverty. “Frankly, many individuals aren’t given the alternatives that I had,” he displays. “Not everybody has that path to success.”
In contrast to some athletes gifted with extraordinary measurement or power early on, Westbrook entered highschool standing simply 5’8″. Nonetheless, his relentless work ethic earned him a spot within the beginning lineup by junior yr.
Westbrook caught a break when he hit a progress spurt earlier than his senior yr, capturing as much as 6’3″ and attracting consideration from faculty basketball “blue bloods.” He fulfilled his highschool dream by committing to UCLA. Westbrook performed two seasons there, incomes Pac-10 Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors as a sophomore, earlier than occurring to the NBA, the place he at the moment performs for the Denver Nuggets.
As Westbrook’s basketball profession soared, so did his dedication to giving again to the group. He established the Why Not Basis in 2012, which lately unveiled a state-of-the-art campus for the Westbrook Academy in South Los Angeles, serving over 400 college students. The academy focuses on schooling, workforce growth, and wellness initiatives to revitalize the underserved group. “The ‘Why not?’ mantra Is not only for me,” Westbrook says. “It is for everybody round me, too.”
Off Courtroom Alley Oops
His upbringing gave Westbrook a deep understanding of the sources required to enhance his group. “We attempt to join with everybody, irrespective of their age or pursuits,” Westbrook says. He is already put his cash the place his mouth is relating to that objective, providing all kinds of applications for underserved youth, from cooking in partnership with Little Kitchen to coding along side Code.chella. “I am an individual that has my arms in just about every part,” Westbrook says. “So it is arduous for me to inform others they need to solely concentrate on schooling. I believe there are alternative ways to assist totally different folks.”
Westbrook views the partnership with Little Kitchen as a first-rate instance. “It offers interior metropolis children the sources and alternatives to study the small particulars of cooking, one thing they’ll use of their on a regular basis life,” Westbrook says. “Rising up within the interior metropolis, there are experiences you may by no means have the possibility to pursue. Offering folks with the sources to strive new issues and consider they’ll obtain them goes a good distance.”
Identified all through the league as a stellar teammate and chief, Westbrook’s presence off the court docket is simply as sturdy. The lively NBA participant, entrepreneur, dressmaker, philanthropist, and enterprise proprietor nonetheless makes time to test in on the scholars at any time when doable. It is somewhat more durable now that he is not taking part in in LA, however Westbrook acknowledges the worth of the little issues like merely displaying up. “Cash is nice,” he says, “however time is extra essential. In the event you grew up in an underserved group, being current issues extra than simply writing a test.” He takes a step additional, emphasizing the distinction between being current and simply being there. “It is vital for folks to see you and have the ability to contact you and discuss to you,” Westbrook says. In that spirit, Westbrook lately teamed up with the Epworth Basis for this yr’s Denver Feed-A-Household occasion, honoring late Denver philanthropist “Daddy” Bruce Randolph’s legacy with a $20,000 donation, offering 7,500 Thanksgiving meal baskets to these in want.
Whereas he cannot at all times be there in particular person, Westbrook’s affect is deeply felt on the faculty which bears his identify. Together with serving on the board and making certain educational sources, he infused the Westbrook Academy campus along with his private fashion, together with a mural of South LA icon and rapper Nipsey Hussle, his late good friend and one among his favourite artists. “The issues that Nip was doing and what he meant to LA impressed me,” Westbrook says. “He confirmed us all of the significance of giving again and serving to your group develop.” In 2019, after posting a 20-20-20 triple-double, Westbrook devoted his unbelievable achievement to Nipsey.
Fashioning a Legacy
Westbrook is not only a philanthropist; he is additionally an achieved entrepreneur. In 2016, he achieved his lifelong dream of founding his personal clothes model, Honor the Present. Like lots of his philanthropic endeavors, Honor the Present is steeped in inner-city LA tradition. “Each assortment tells a narrative and carries a message rooted within the interior metropolis,” Westbrook says. “That is the inspiration of my creativity. I would like folks to have a look at Honor the Present and really feel a real connection, like, ‘That model resonates with me.'”
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Westbrook acknowledges that he’s uniquely positioned to help his group with a multi-million-dollar checking account and a platform with followers to match. Nonetheless, he believes everybody can discover a method to assist the much less lucky. “Crucial factor is to do one thing that feels pure and significant, not compelled,” Westbrook says. “Discover a goal you actually care about, one thing you like, that helps others, and go after it wholeheartedly.” The triple-double king has practically 10,000 assists to his identify in his NBA profession, however none of them imply as a lot to him as those he dishes out of the court docket.