Denver Nuggets' Russell Westbrook teams up with Tajh Ariza, Jason Crowe Jr., and Tounde Yessoufou for limited edition merch release for the L.A. Rams
Denver Nuggets star Russell Westbrook has his own clothing brand called Honor the Gift, which announced a collaboration with NFL team LA Rams on Friday, October 18. For that collaboration, he has gathered some of the up-and-coming stars from his AAU team, Team Why Not, including Tajh Ariza, Jason Crowe Jr., and Tounde Yessoufou, to appear alongside him in a promotional video.
Other members of Team Why Not included in the video are Brannon Martinsen, Amalia Holguin, Brieana Brown, and Tatianna Griffin.
Westbrook, who is also the brand's creative director, also collaborated with LA-based rapper Dom Kennedy for the video's soundtrack.
The video also featured LA Rams players Cooper Kupp, DeMarcus Robinson, and Quentin Lake. TikTok star Isaiah Garza, LA-based Musicians Mikhala and Ncognita, Hotville Chicken founder Kim Prince, the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders DJ Hed, and streetwear industry stakeholder Kacey Lynchn also appeared in the video.
The collaboration between Russell Westbrook's Honor the Gift and the LA Rams will include a six-piece collection that can be worn not just casually, but also while playing games. The Rams official YouTube channel describes the collection as "what happens after the work day is done/after the game ends."
The entire collection will be released at the Equipment Room at SoFi Stadium, as well as the LA Rams official fan shop on Thursday, October 24.
Russell Westbrook is helping mentor the next generation of stars with Team Why Not
With his success in the NBA, Russell Westbrook has been giving back to the community with his Team Why Not AAU program, which he calls a "mantra of empowerment that inspires confidence and resilience." He has been reaching out to underserved communities and offering them sports training, as well as outreach programs.
His youth basketball program is already producing stars, including a pair of 5-star recruits from the Class of 2026 in No. 3 rank Tajh Ariza, son of former NBA champion Trevor Ariza, as well as No. 7 rank Jason Crowe Jr.
Team Why Not has also helped develop 4-star Baylor commit Tounde Yessoufou, a No. 17 rank small forward from the Class of 2025.
The Why Not? foundation also reopened the Westbrook Academy on September 23, with the Nuggets star present during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The academy aims to serve the youth of the community of South LA to achieve both educational and career success.
It is a collaboration with the educational consulting firm, the LA Promise Fund, with the organization's president, Veronica Melvin, also attended the opening ceremony.