Born in Long Beach, California, LA Clippers star Russell Westbrook was a firm Kobe Bryant fan when he was growing up. However, as a 12-year kid at a Michael Jordan basketball camp, Westbrook once had the opportunity to meet the Chicago Bulls legend. While most of the kids waited in line to get something signed from MJ, Westbrook was playing a pickup game.
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Despite being told by his coach that he was running out of time, Westbrook refused to stop playing and missed out on his chance to meet Jordan. Russell Westbrook revealed the story during a recent appearance on the Jennifer Hudson show. The Michael Jordan Flight Schools are considered one of the finest basketball camps for kids in the world.
Russell Westbrook once ditched an opportunity to meet Michael Jordan as a 12-year old
Westbrook spoke about a range of topics from his childhood during the interview. He was also asked which played was his idol growing up.
The LA Clippers man claimed that he was a huge Kobe Bryant fan. Growing up in California, Westbrook revealed that he not only loved Kobe’s game but also his mentality which allowed him to do great things.
The two then spoke about Michael Jordan, with Westbrook claiming he loved the Bulls legend as well, as a kid. However, he still ditched a huge opportunity to meet the 6-time NBA champion.
Westbrook claimed that while the other kids at the basketball camp were waiting in line for their autographs, he was playing a pickup game. Despite his coach telling him to stop playing and join the line, Westbrook refused, and ended up losing the chance:
“I was at a Michael Jordan basketball camp. I was 11,12 years old. At the end of the camp, each kid got one signed item from Michael Jordan. Everybody was standing in the line but at the time I was playing a little pickup game so my coach kept saying, hurry up it’s your time. I was like no, I am playing my pickup game. I am not coming out of line. So, long story short, I played my pickup game but I didn’t get a signed Michael Jordan item. Fast forward in 2000, he signed me as an athlete. I have been with the Jordan brand since and I am still under the Jordan brand.”
Russell Westbrook wants to emulate Michael Jordan by building an empire
Currently, with a net worth of around $375 million, Westbrook is a willing entrepreneur and has been making moves recently. According to Forbes, Westbrook invests in multiple companies across industries such as food and drinks, muscle recovery, and social media.
His company Russell Westbrook Enterprises was launched only three years ago but has seen consistent growth recently. He had also bought various car dealerships at the start of his career but recently ended up selling them.
Westbrook aims to build an empire such as the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James have been able to build. The player referenced his triple-double seasons, claiming that there was no reason he couldn’t follow suit off the court and do things that are not expected of him:
“My mantra is ‘Why not?’ I live by that. It took 75 years for somebody to average a triple-double. Well, I did it four times.”
