University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Westbrook Lands Eighth All-Star Game Appearance
February 01, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Former UCLA standout Russell Westbrook has secured his eighth selection to the annual NBA All-Star Game, as announced Thursday by the NBA.
Westbrook played at UCLA in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and was selected No. 4 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, just before Seattle moved to Oklahoma City. Westbrook is currently midway through his 11th season in the NBA, all with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Through 42 games this season, Westbrook has averaged 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game, helping Oklahoma City compile a 32-18 record. Oklahoma City has the third-best record of any team in the Western Conference, trailing Golden State and Denver.
Westbrook has earned a spot on the NBA All-Star Team (in the Western Conference) in each of the past five seasons (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019). He secured his first All-Star Game appearance in 2011 and was also named to the Western Conference's roster in 2012 and 2013.
The 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player, Westbrook has secured more appearances (8) to the NBA All-Star Game than any other former UCLA player, outside of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known as Lew Alcindor while at UCLA). Abdul-Jabbar earned an NBA-record 19 All-Star Game appearances in an illustrious professional career that spanned from 1969 through 1989.
Gail Goodrich, Marques Johnson and Kevin Love have each recorded five selections to the NBA All-Star Game.
During his two-year career at UCLA, Westbrook was a part of back-to-back NCAA Final Four teams. As a sophomore in 2007-08, he teamed with freshman center Kevin Love to lead UCLA to a 35-4 overall record and a 16-2 mark in the Pac-10 Conference. Along with senior Lorenzo Mata-Real and juniors Darren Collison, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Josh Shipp, Michael Roll and Alfred Aboya, Westbrook helped UCLA capture the 2008 Pac-10 regular-season championship and Pac-10 Tournament title.
Westbrook will take the court at the 2019 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, Feb. 17. Game time at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte is slated for 5:20 p.m. PT (8:20 p.m. ET).
