UCLA practice court gets Westbrook's name after record gift
UCLA announced on Monday that Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook is making the largest donation by a former student-athlete in the history of Bruins basketball – though he declined to say exactly how much the donation was for.
It’s big enough, however, that UCLA is placing Westbrook’s name on the practice court at the yet-to-be-completed Mo Ostin Basketball Center near Pauley Pavilion.
“You didn’t miss it – it just wasn’t in there,” Westbrook laughed on a conference call with reporters when he was asked how much money he was donating. “I just choose not to. It’s not about how much money it is. It’s about giving back to the school where I went. The money part is not important.”
The men’s and women’s basketball practice facility is seen as a vital ingredient for UCLA to be able to continue recruiting top-notch talent during an era of a facilities arms race. Pauley Pavilion has all of the history of the John Wooden years, but it also holds UCLA back. It’s a shared-use facility, with court time divvied up between five UCLA sports teams, campus recreation and public and private events.
After Westbrook’s donation, UCLA has raised some $17 million in private funds for the facility, which broke ground last summer. UCLA needs to raise a total of $25 million for the construction.
Westbrook was a late bloomer at UCLA. His recruitment from Leuzinger High School in Los Angeles was unheralded, to say the least; recruiting services didn’t even tab him as a top 100 recruit. His future Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, Kevin Durant, was considered the best recruit in that 2006 class alongside Greg Oden.
During Westbrook’s freshman season at UCLA, the second in a run of three straight UCLA Final Fours under former coach Ben Howland, Westbrook played only nine minutes a game and averaged 3.4 points on a stacked team that included Aaron Afflalo and Darren Collison.
It wasn’t until his sophomore year when his talent really sprouted and NBA scouts took notice. On a team that featured freshman Kevin Love, Westbrook played 33.8 minutes per game and averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists for a Final Four squad.
“A kid like me growing up in inner-city Los Angeles never thought he would have an opportunity to play at UCLA,” Westbrook said Monday.
Westbrook – who is sixth in the NBA in scoring this season at 26.1 points per game -- said he works out at UCLA facilities in the summer, sometimes playing pickup games with current Bruins.
“Russell himself is an inspiration,” UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement. “We could not be more proud of his leadership both on and off the court since he left Westwood.”
UCLA will honor Westbrook at its Jan. 7 game against Arizona.
Follow Reid Forgrave on Twitter @reidforgrave or email him at ReidForgrave@gmail.com.
