

The 2019-20 season was the first that the former MVP spent on a new team after being traded from the Thunder to the Rockets. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma City six days later. The guard decided to forgo his final two seasons of eligibility and apply for the 2008 NBA Draft. UCLA once again advanced to the Final Four, and Westbrook averaged 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Big Dance. He provided 12.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds and won the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year award. The California native moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore because Collison suffered an injury. The Bruins marched to the Final Four, but Westbrook did not play more than eight minutes in any of the games in the NCAA Tournament. As a freshman, he backed up Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo. Learn more about Westbrook by following him on Twitter and on Instagram Westbrook's two seasons at UCLA provided glimpses of what the 6-foot-2 guard would become as a pro. The program is aimed at providing digital job skills to at-risk young adults. The organization's mission is "to inspire the lives of children, empower them to ask 'Why Not?' and teach them to never give up." In partnership with LA Conservation Corps, Westbrook launched the Westbrook/Brownstein Green Tech Program in August of 2019. In 2012, he established the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation ().

He has won gold medals as a member of Team USA at the 2012 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Cup. That season, he recorded 14 double-doubles and registered a career-best 51 points in early January. He sprouted to 6-foot-3 after his junior season and went on to average 25.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.3 assists as a senior, leading Leuzinger to a 25-4 record. He stood only 5-foot-8 as a freshman and did not start on the varsity team until his junior year. Westbrook attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California. Russell Westbrook was born in Long Beach, California, to Russell Westbrook and Shannon Horton. He is still worthy of a pick within the first few rounds of snake drafts, but the likelihood that he finishes as a steal versus a disappointment is about even. Neither scenario is a guarantee, of course, so drafting Westbrook this season comes with substantially more unknowns than in years past. There is also the very real possibility that either (or both) James or Davis could miss parts of the season - the duo combined to sit out over 60 contests in 2020-21 - thus catapulting Westbrook back into a more lucrative second-star role. Perhaps Westbrook will trade a dip in counting stats for increased efficiency, which could buoy his value in nine-category leagues even as it results in a decline in points-based formats. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists when teammate James Harden registered the league's second-highest usage rate in 2019-20, but Westbrook has never had to work as a third option as he will behind James and Davis with the Lakers. Westbrook has fared well next to a high-usage superstar before. With that said, his production is likely to take a downturn next season given the offseason trade that sent him to Los Angeles to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. From a fantasy perspective, Westbrook's strengths and struggles make him an elite performer in points leagues but a lesser option in a standard eight- or nine-category head-to-head format. He averaged 4.8 turnovers per contest and shot 43.9 percent from the field, 65.6 percent from the line and 31.5 percent from three-point range. However, the usual drawbacks to Westbrook's game remained despite the big counting stats. His efforts - especially down the stretch - made a tangible impact on a Washington squad that went 34-38 and qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2017-18.

Westbrook enjoyed another historic campaign in 2020-21, averaging a triple-double for the fourth time in his past five seasons.
