NBA Star Russell Westbrook Hosts Basketball Camp for Kids Impacted by the Eaton Fire originally appeared on L.A. Mag.
(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
Last Saturday, NBA star and 2016-’17 league MVP Russell Westbrook hosted a basketball camp for children affected by the Eaton Fire at Alta Loma Park in Altadena.
Through his foundation, “Why Not?,” Westbrook has made it his mission to help underserved communities by partnering with nonprofits. In so doing, the Long Beach native has made strides to rebuild cities, schools and families. Westbrook has hosted events as a means to bring communities together and fundraise.
“The culture here was a good time for us to do a camp to kind of bring all the kids together, bring some community, bring them together to have some fun and enjoy some great moments. I was happy and blessed to be able to be out here, especially for the kids, free of charge, have some good time and embrace it, so it’s fun,” Westbrook told Fox LA.Â
This past Saturday marked an extra third day of the Why Not Foundation’s two-day basketball event in Altadena. The future Hall-of-Fame inductee made sure to be involved in the action, sharing the court with the kids.
“I do free camps every year because the presence to me, I was one of these kids, I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, so being able to kind of see somebody like myself enjoy, have some fun, high five, it goes a long way for those kids as they get older, and I just really enjoy it,” he added.
Since the devastating fires on January 7th, the Why Not? Foundation has been making coordinated efforts to provide resources and support throughout Los Angeles County. This includes delivering supplies to children at evacuation sites, providing nourishment to firefighters, distributing necessities to displaced families, and providing grants to organizations, mutual aid funds and affected families.
Currently, the Why Not? Foundation has partnered with the L.A. Promise Fund to create a charter school in South L.A. called the Westbrook Academy. The school is meant to provide resources that support entire families, including a food pantry and technology lab, while also giving students the guidance to advance their education.
On September 12th, the foundation is hosting its 5th Annual Why Not? Poker Night in partnership with the World Poker Tour® Foundation. All proceeds will support their mission of creating pathways of empowerment for underserved communities in South L.A.
For more information about the Why Not Foundation, please visit whynotfoundation.org/programming/
This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.