Relentless, dogged pursuit of his goals is how Russell Westbrook operates. Not just on the floor, but in local urban communities, too.
On Tuesday, Westbrook opened his seventh Russell’s Reading Room at Edwards Elementary, making it the fourth such renovated library and reading space he’s created in Oklahoma City. Last season, Westbrook cut the ribbon at his first three Reading Rooms, all in Oklahoma City, before opening three more in his hometown of Los Angeles over the summer. Through his own research and his Why Not? Foundation, Westbrook selected Edwards Elementary, and showed off the sparkling new room and 500 books on Tuesday.
“Growing up in the inner city, I’m trying to find different elementary schools to help kids out,” Westbrook said. “It’s something I take pride in doing and trying to find ways to help kids’ reading level go up.”
“As I do research and find different schools, I want to find schools that want to help their kids read more and find ways to impact them through reading books,” Westbrook explained.
Long after Westbrook has finished playing basketball as a career, the tangible, real infrastructure he has created will still exist here in Oklahoma City. The lasting impact that his visit, his resources and the facilities he has created will leave their mark on the local community through its youngest generations.
“It’s an area where my kids can fall in love with reading,” said Edwards Elementary Principal Patrice Allen. I’m hoping to see families in here reading with their kids and not just our students, but to bring our community in as a place to read.”
That process continued Tuesday, as Westbrook threw a wrinkle into the event, hosting a Book Fair so that every kid in the school had a chance to select a book to bring home with them. The Reading Room will be a place where students can go with friends and family to improve their reading skills, but Westbrook knows that bringing education into the home is just as important.
“It gave them an opportunity to have some fun, find some books they may like and take them home and read them at home and not just at school,” Westbrook said. “I wanted to try something new where they’re able to create their own bookshelf at their house and not just at their school. At the same time, they still have the Reading Room here and they can come to school and bring their books here.”
“It is awesome to see someone like Russell Westbrook who kids look up to and who is a star to motivate kids to read,” Allen said. “I’m so excited about the things that he’s doing in giving our kids opportunities.”
Westbrook ushered a group of high-achieving students around the room for the grand tour, working with them to find the book of their choosing. He didn’t just let them grab the first thing they saw, or what their friends or parents might like. Instead, Westbrook took the time to work with each student to make sure the book they chose was something they were truly interested in, and would gain value from when they brought it home.
“I was one of them,” Westbrook said, grinning widely through a laugh. “I know you can just pick any book and go home and put it on the shelf. I wanted to make sure they picked a book that they like. If it’s a picture book, then let it be a picture book, at least they’re starting somewhere. Whatever it is they like to read, I want to show them that it’s okay to pick any book that you like and go home and read it.”
The gesture and financial commitment to building the room is one thing, and is greatly applauded. What is even more impressive and valuable is Westbrook’s desire to provide inspiration and show true concern for each child’s education in the Oklahoma City community.
Watch: Westbrook Opens Fourth OKC Reading Room
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Across town, two other Thunder players were hard at work to contribute to the reading cause as well. Serge Ibaka and Dion Waiters stopped by Shidler Elementary to hop aboard the Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity. Ibaka and Waiters helped third grade students pick out a brand new book from the mobile library, and were proud to reward the class, which has improved its literacy rate by 14 percentage points since the beginning of the school year.
"I think this is a great experience. I've never been a part of something like this where it's a moving library,” Waiters said. “What OKC does for the community, they’re hands on with everything."