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Former Oklahoma City legend Russell Westbrook came back to the city that he called home for a decade to open up a new court funded by his Why Not? Foundation.
The current Los Angeles Lakers guard took a rare visit to OKC on Monday for the ribbon-cutting of a new futsal/basketball court at Capital Hill High School in south OKC.
The superstar was joined by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt for the ribbon-cutting, and to ensure that Westbrook would always be able to “come back home”, the mayor gifted Westbrook with a key to the city.
“I wanna thank all you guys, everyone that had a part in being able to bring this to life. Thank the kids because I think for me it’s more about the youth in the community and bringing something like this to public schools in Oklahoma City,” Russell Westbrook told the onlookers after receiving the key to the city.
“My foundation strictly wants to continue supporting things in Oklahoma City as much as we can. This place for me was home, and it still is home for me,” Westbrook said before an eruption of cheers.
Russell Westbrook No Stranger to Giving Back to Oklahoma
Through his Why Not? Foundation, Westbrook has been giving back to the state of Oklahoma for the last decade. His foundation has opened schools, built gymnasiums, given out food to those in need throughout the year, and they’ve even produced a documentary highlighting the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Westbrook partnered with Emmy-Award winning director Stanley Nelson to produce a two-hour documentary called “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre”.
“The Tulsa Race Massacre was not something I was taught about in school or in any of my history books. It was only after spending 11 years in Oklahoma that I learned of this deeply troubling and heartbreaking event,” Westbrook said. “This is one of many overlooked stories of African Americans in this country that deserves to be told. These are the stories we must honor and amplify so we can learn from the past and create a better future.”
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