It didn’t take long for Russell Westbrook to become one of the most stylish players in the league. By the time I started covering the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, he was already in full stride—an undisputed fashion icon in sports. By the end of that season, I knew I had to switch things up with my Thunder coverage. I needed to weave NBA fashion into my bag. That shift? All inspired by Russ.
Fast-forward 10 years: while Westbrook gears up for his 14th Playoff appearance, he’s also suiting up women’s college basketball stars for their next big leap—the WNBA Draft runway.
Westbrook has made it clear—he’s building brands, diversifying his portfolio, and laying the foundation for life after basketball. But stylist? That’s a new title I didn’t see coming. Still, he wears it well.
Months ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft, Westbrook linked up with the newest member of the Washington Mystics to design a custom look for one of the biggest nights of her life—getting selected sixth overall.
“This has never happened before—no athlete has ever dressed another athlete for a draft, let alone an NBA player designing for a WNBA Draft,” Westbrook told Vogue Magazine. “We’re making history right here, breaking down those barriers between men’s and women’s sports.”
It all started with a Zoom call.
“I was freaking out before the Zoom even happened,” said Amoore, who first connected with Westbrook and his Honor the Gift team late last year. “I’m not really one to get shy, but I did. Sitting there with him in front of me, I was like—this is actually unreal.”
Amoore, a Ballarat, Australia native, played collegiately at Virginia Tech and the University of Kentucky. Growing up, she was drawn to Westbrook’s game—thanks to those marquee Thunder matchups that made it onto Australian TV.
“In Australia, I didn’t really have too many ESPNs, so whenever Thunder games were on, they were the marquee games—and he was the marquee player,” she says. “Feeling so far away back then, and now getting the chance to work with him? Unbelievable.”
Westbrook is a natural leader who thrives on initiative, welcomes feedback, and has a sharp eye for style. That combo? It makes for a top-tier stylist—and that’s exactly what he was for Amoore as she prepped for the NCAA Tournament.
“I pretty much said I wanted a cropped blazer and a skirt, and from then on, I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
Russ delivered. Through Honor the Gift, his in-house brand, he designed a cropped black blazer with white-stitch embroidery and a matching mini skirt—exactly what she asked for. Underneath the blazer? A tee with the phrase “Honor Women,” a staple from the HTG collection.
“We didn’t want to go too crazy, but we wanted to give her a little bit of swagger for one of the biggest moments of her life,” Westbrook said.
At this point, we’re getting bi-weekly updates on the next thing Westbrook’s diving into. The future Hall-of-Famer is making sure his legacy hits way beyond basketball. Russ the stylist is just the latest notch on an already loaded belt.
