Russell Westbrookof theDenver Nuggets, a player deeply rooted in the heart of Oklahoma City, continues to give back to the place where he won an MVP award and spent the first half of his career with theOklahoma City Thunder. His strong connection to the community is evident in his heartfelt references to the city as his home. Westbrook, despite leaving in 2019 to join theHouston Rocketsin a trade, continues to shape the future of Oklahoma City. His partnership with Echo, a multi-strategy investment firm, helps to continue to grow the city's sports and entertainment investments, particularly its future professional soccer team's stadium, is just one aspect of his influence. He has also taken on an expanded role as the creative director for the stadium district. The originally eight-figure investment by Westbrook is set to go towards building a 12,000-seat stadium for the Oklahoma City Energy FC, aUnited Soccer Leagueteam that has suspended play the past few seasons due to not having an adequate field to host home games. This investment not only provides a solution to the team's home game hosting issue but also demonstrates Westbrook's commitment to the city's sports scene. Now, Westbrook will contribute to designing the surrounding areas in downtown Oklahoma City, which spans 40 acres and will be known as the entertainment district with dining, retail and community spaces. "We're reimagining how a city comes together." 🏟️@russwest44on his role as Creative Director for new sports-anchored entertainment district in OKC.pic.twitter.com/KHsOjfW2iJ — OKC for Soccer (@EnergyFC)May 28, 2025 More:Tyrese Haliburton's dad allowed to attend Pacers home games again after incident Russell Westbrook was selected fourth overall in the 2008 NBA to the Seattle SuperSonics that relocated to Oklahoma City. He played for the Thunder for 11 seasons. In a Nuggets post-game interview in March in OKC, Westbrook reaffirmed his enduring loyalty to the city, speaking about his ongoing connection and commitment. "That place raised me," Westbrook said to reporters. "I'm from LA to the core, but when I arrived there, the people believed in me. They welcomed me in—my family and my friends. It feels like home to me. I have always felt connected to the city, whether through investments or philanthropic work, and I will continue to do so." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Russell Westbrook expands role for new OKC stadium district
