Russell Westbrook Opens a Reading Center in OKC

OKC Thunder star point guard Russell Westbrook cut the ribbon for Russell’s Reading Room Monday afternoon at North Highland Elementary School in North OKC.

The reading room stocks 1,200 books for kids of all ages.

Through his foundation, Westbrook plans to open two more chapters in the coming months.

Per The Oklahoman:

Russell Westbrook had a favorite book growing up. It was called Missing Since Monday, a 176-page mystery aimed at young adults. […] “Any time I had a project I had to do on a book, I would do it on the same book,” Westbrook joked. “So it’s still on my computer to this day.”

 

Reading wasn’t always easy for Westbrook, he admits. The hyper-athletic superstar guard understandably found it hard to sit still. But he understands its importance. And that’s why Westbrook – through his Why Not? Foundation – is launching a reading initiative.

 

“It’s very important,” Westbrook said. “As you get older, whether you become successful or not, you kind of forget how it is to be a kid. When you kind of look back, if you were a kid in that situation when you come to school and you see a room like this and you like, ‘Oh, I want to go get a book to read.'”