Russell Westbrook and wife Nina welcome baby boy!
When Russell Westbrook checks in for dinner, he’ll officially have to say: “Westbrook, party of three.”
The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar and his wife Nina welcomed their first child–a baby boy–on Tuesday, May 16.
Just two days after Mother’s Day, Westbrook broke the news with an incredibly sweet Instagram picture, captioned “Noah Russell Westbrook 5.16.17”
Those feet may be tiny now, but it won’t be long before they’re slipped into a pair of Jordan’s sporting his father’s name.
A rich family history
Noah joins a family of athletes. His mother, 6’1″ Nina Westbrook, played for the UCLA women’s basketball team, where she accumulated 675 points during her career as a forward. She averaged a 56 percent free throw percentage and 44.8 percent field goal percentage.
Nina and Russell Westbrook were college sweethearts at UCLA before marrying on August 29, 2015. On March 1, 2017, they announced their pregnancy.
Westbrook’s a natural
Though he’s a first-time dad, Russell Westbrook is no stranger to leadership. Both on and off the court, he’s proven that he knows how to lead by example, stay disciplined, and make a difference.
In fact, fellow Thunderous Intentions writer Tamberlyn Richardson relayed a story to me that left a great impression. She told me a story that Jeff Van Gundy once told on the Vertical about an experience he had on a plane ride to Oklahoma City, where he met someone who lives on the same street as Westbrook.
This person told Van Gundy that, every day, small children who live in the same area as Westbrook approach the house and ring the doorbell. When his wife answers, they gleefully ask, “Can Russell come out and play?” Nina Westbrook gets Russell and sends him outside to play basketball with the children. Apparently, it doesn’t matter if this happens right after practice or if Westbrook is banged up. If he is home, he plays.
Note: The original Vertical broadcast of Jeff Van Gundy talking to Adrian Wojnarowski can be heard here starting at 22:46.
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The man with the big heart
He may be a private person, but Westbrook certainly has a heart for children. And through his Why Not Foundation, Westbrook’s philanthropic efforts have been amplified.
Founded in 2012, the foundation aims to support the community through education and family service programs.
“The mission of the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation is to inspire the lives of children, empower them to ask ‘Why Not?’ and teach them to never give up,” the foundation’s website states.
Congratulations (and hope you like coffee!)
With his genes (and that middle name), Noah Westbrook certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
On behalf of everyone at Thunderous Intentions, congratulations to our MVP!