Russell Westbrook III is an American professional baksetball player born on November 12, 1988, in Long Beach, California, U.S. As of May 2025, he plays for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. Westbrook was the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics (now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder). Before joining the Nuggets, Westbrook played for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Washington Wizards, the Houston Rockets, and the Thunder. Westbrook was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2015 and 2016. He was named the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player and the NBA scoring champion in 2015 and 2017.
Westbrook graduated from Leuzinger High School located in Lawndale, California, United States. He averaged 25.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.3 assists per game during his senior season as per his college roster. Westbrook attended University of California, Los Angeles, and played for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team from 2006 to 2008. He was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.
Russell Westbrook With The Lakers
The acquisition of Russell Westbrook by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021 was meant to be a game-changer as per Fox Sports. Lakers fans and team management believed that Westbrook would propel the team back into championship contention. His initial performance, an eight-point effort on four-of-12 shooting in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on opening night as per Fox Sports. Despite his reputation for intensity and athleticism, Westbrook failed to connect with teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Also Read: How much did Russell Westbrook average with the Lakers?
Lakers Missing the 2022 NBA Playoffs
The Lakers' 2021/2022 season was fiiled with inconsistency and Russell Westbrook found himself at the center of a lot of the blame as per Fox Sport. By mid season, the team had a 21-20 record which raise some doubts about their playoffs. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were also injured. Eventually, the team missed the 2022 NBA playoffs. Westbrook was critisized for his ball handling mistakes and some questionable decision on the court. As the season was over and the team missed the playoffs, head coach Frank Vogel was fired as per Fox Sports. Coach Darwin Ham was appointed as the new coach who was excited to coach Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook Off the Bench For The Lakers
The 2022/2023 season brought more challenges for the Lakers, with a dismal 2-10 start to the season. Turnovers continued to be a persistent problem, and Westbrook's struggles fitting into rotations led to a surprising decision by Coach Ham to move him to the bench. It marked the first time Westbrook had come off the bench since his rookie season. Unfortunately for the team, this strategic shift failed to spark the improvement hoped for, and Westbrook's struggles persisted.
End Of Russell Westbrook’s Lakers Career
As the trade deadline approached, the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade on February 9, 2023. At the time of the trade, Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.2 rebounds in a career-low 28.7 minutes per game as per Fox Sports. In February 20, 2023, he joined the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played two years. Westbrook scored 1,086 points, grabbed 445 rebounds, and made 466 assists in 89 games while playing the Clippers.
FAQs on Russell Westbrook
A. As of May 2025, Russell Westbrook is 36 years old.
A. Russell Westbrook is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall.
A. Russell Westbrook is American.
A. Russell Westbrook's parents are Russell Westbrook Jr. and Shannon Horton.
