Russell Westbrook Makes The Largest Donation By A UCLA Basketball Player In School History

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Russell Westbrook played just two seasons at UCLA before he started terrorizing opponents in the NBA. But his college alma mater clearly still holds a special place in his heart. UCLA Athletics announced Monday that the four-time All-Star has made a record-setting donation toward the Mo Ostin Basketball Center project, a gift they’re calling the largest by any former basketball-playing student-athlete in the school’s storied history. Here’s more from the UCLA Athletic’s official press release:

“Russell isn’t merely a dominant force in the NBA, he’s a force to be reckoned with in the community as well,” said Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero. “While his Why Not? Foundation’s mission is to inspire the lives of children and teach them to never give up, the fact of the matter is, having witnessed firsthand and from afar his growth over the years, Russell himself is an inspiration. We could not be more proud of his leadership both on and off the court since he left Westwood, and I know the Bruin faithful will be excited to welcome him back home next month and thank him for this tremendous gift.”

The dollar amount of the donation wasn’t disclosed, but the basketball court at the team’s new state-of-the-art practice facility will be named after Westbrook. The new facility itself is named after UCLA alum and long-time music industry executive Mo Ostin, who donated $10 million for a new music center on campus in 2011 and an additional $10 million this year for the new basketball facility, which is set for completion in 2017.

The university will hold an event on January 7 to honor Westbrook’s generosity. His donation follows in the footsteps of Draymond Green, who made a similar record-setting donation of $3.1 million to his alma mater Michigan State this summer not long after signing a mammoth $85 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

(Via UCLA Athletics)

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