Russell Westbrook explained why he did not need an accountant to pay $11.7 Million taxes from his $28.5 Million salary

Former Thunder Anthony Morrow talks about how Lakers star Russell Westbrook does not hire an accountant for his taxes

Getting into the NBA is no easy task. Getting into the NBA as a top/lottery pick, it’s an uphill task. The players have to sacrifice a lot, put their bodies on the line, and prove their worth for the teams to consider them a lottery pick. A lot of times, it means sacrificing the classes in school and spending the time working on the game instead.

This often leads to people assuming the players getting selected as top picks are all basketball oriented and do not have other real-life skills. However, most of the time, that isn’t the case. The same was assumed of Russell Westbrook.

Drafted in 2009 as the 4th pick, Russell Westbrook was thought of as an athletic and explosive guard, who could grab boards, and focuses on facilitating his teammates as well. However, a story by his former teammate shares how he’s much more.

Also Read: Russell Westbrook, who’s due $47 million, will have ‘a role carved out’ by Darvin Ham if he’s still with the Lakers by Sept. 27th

Russell Westbrook does his own taxes!

Ok, this statement may not seem very impressive at first, but hear me out. Russell Westbrook is not your regular, everyday person. He’s an NBA star, who earns in millions. Russ has to deal with NBA taxes, which has state taxes, federal taxes, and then there are his endorsement deals, businesses etc.

For example, his NBA salary alone was taxed 40% in 2017.

A former Thunder player Anthony Morrow talked about Russ, and recalled how he once saw Westbrook do his own taxes.

Morrow recalls going to the dining area at the Thunder’s practice facility one afternoon and seeing Westbrook seated at a table, typing into a laptop and scrolling through papers as he did his taxes. Puzzled, Morrow asked Westbrook why he didn’t just hire an accountant.

“I don’t need that. I know how to do my taxes,” Morrow said Westbrook told him.

Also Read: $500 million Lakers owner Jeanie Buss calls Russell Westbrook the best player on last year’s roster

To be someone of Westbrook’s stature, and have the sources of income like he does, doing your own taxes is no easy job. Kudos to the Triple Double King for his hard work.