When you play in the NBA or any other professional sports league, you can’t just drift through life focusing purely on your chosen sport. At some point, you will likely need another skill to help you occupy the time you have left when you retire (usually before 40). We know that Russell Westbrook is an incredibly talented human being already, with fingers in many pies, including fashion.
Is Russell Westbrook an Entrepreneur? Yes, Russell Westbrook should definitely be considered an entrepreneur. He has been investing in numerous successful businesses over the years and is quickly rising the rankings in those companies. On top of that, Westbrook has created a large number of car dealerships that he runs due to his passion for vehicles.
No matter which way you look at it, Russ ends up making smart business decisions and it’s these decisions that really help your future once inevitable retirement as an athlete occurs. Westbrook does quite a bit in his spare time, it’s a miracle that he has any remaining time given how involved he is with different companies. Let’s dive a little deeper though, why is Russell Westbrook an entrepreneur?
Westbrook Nailed Bank Investment
Westbrook struck gold when he finally decided to invest a small portion of his NBA earnings to try and create a better future for himself and his family for generations to come. Russ decided to get in on the action of Varo Bank. Varo Bank may be completely unfamiliar to a lot of people. That is because they are going to be the very first all-digital bank in the history of the United States. Russ clearly saw the massive potential in the idea and now finds himself on the board of advisors. Westbrook also pitched a few other ideas that he will be helping out with in order to support black communities and other entrepreneurs. As it currently stands right now, Westbrook’s investment to the bank is approximately $63 million. This huge sum of money will help Varo push forward with their social impact missions, and create a strong banking environment. With Westbrook on board coupled with a ton of other talented people, there is no doubt in my mind that this bank should end up being a hit sooner rather than later.
Westbrook Inks Deal with Hennessy
Just when you thought that he couldn’t get any better, you find out that Russ is partnered up with none other than Hennessy. Hennessy is already the official spirit of the NBA, but it decided to bring in Westbrook to give it that extra edge it needed. Russ instantly wanted to hop on the partnership that has been titled “Make Moves That Start Movements.” Westbrook ended up acting for a few different promotions for Hennessy along with getting numerous pictures and videos taken of him during that time. A lot of you may be thinking that this collaboration between Russ and Hennessy is a pretty weird mixture. However, the fact that he saw what could end up being a brilliant business opportunity and instantly jumped to get on the ride shows that Westbrook seems to know what he is doing when it comes to business. Once again, Westbrook has all the makings of an entrepreneur. As Shaq has proven, endorsements and partnerships with brands can open many doors.
Russell Westbrook Doesn’t Stop
You know that you have yourself a stellar entrepreneur when you always seem to find more projects that he is involved in. This is the case with Westbrook. Along with the banking investment and the Hennessy deal comes acting. Yes, he acted and produced a few different documentaries and television shows over the last couple of years. One of them was quite literally about himself as a basketball player, as it followed his journey for a while. After he was seemingly done with that, Westbrook wound up partnering up with TUMI, a luggage company. The two parties worked together to come up with a limited-edition collection with the point guard fully designing six pieces of the bag itself. Right alongside all of that comes his own motto and brand slogan “Why Not?” Russ also teamed up with Barney’s New York all the way back in 2014 to come up with some new pairs of glasses for himself. It was a two-year partnership and it ended up with something called the Russell Westbrook XO line of glasses. He doesn’t just partner up with eyeglass companies though, he also owns one himself called Westbrook Frames. Whenever he gets a job opportunity, he goes ahead and makes the most to get full profit out of whatever challenge he faces.
How Old Is Westbrook? Can He Play for Much Longer?
Now unfortunately, all of these business moves really make you wonder if he doesn’t want to play basketball that much anymore. Obviously, he wants to look ahead for his future but maybe he feels like he is set for life at this point and can just move forward with whatever he wants to do. Looking at his age though, he still has some time. He currently stands at 33 years old at the moment, which isn’t all that bad for a point guard. It does suck that the majority of his game relies upon his athleticism, something he might not have for much longer. So, even if he does play, he might not be at the top of his game and he wouldn’t want to go out like that. In my opinion, I believe that Westbrook will continue playing the sport of basketball but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up hanging up the shoes in a few years. Westbrook has so much else going on with the businesses that he owns and the partnerships he makes along the way. As a matter of fact, with as many moves Westbrook has made off the court, I think that he might be one of the best entrepreneurs that the NBA has ever seen. It’s really rare to see a single player own so many different companies and such while still playing in the league.