Russell Westbrook is still leaving his mark on Oklahoma City, and this time it has nothing to do with a box score.
Seven years after he last played for the Thunder, the 37-year-old is helping shape the identity of OKC United, the city’s upcoming soccer club. Westbrook is one of the investors behind the team, which is set to join the USL Championship in 2028, and he also had a hand in designing the club’s crest with acclaimed sports branding designer Matthew Wolff.
The logo is built around an arrowhead-shaped shield, a clear nod to Oklahoma’s Native American heritage. In the middle sits an interlocking OKC monogram, surrounded by 39 sun rays meant to represent each of the 39 tribes headquartered in Oklahoma.
A zig-zag border pulls from Jim Thorpe’s Sac and Fox name, Wa-Tho-Huk, which means "Bright Path," and is meant to reflect life as a journey marked by growth, change, adversity and success. A ribbon with the club name finishes the crest underneath.
Westbrook explained the thinking behind it in an official statement: "A crest is more than a logo. It's a mirror," Westbrook wrote in an official statement.
"It has to reflect the city, the people and the club all at once, and it has to earn its place on a uniform. Oklahomans are proud and resilient.
They don't need to be told what they're a part of - they feel it. That's what this crest is built on.
Every element ties back to Oklahoma's past, present, and future. When you see it, you know it's OKC."
He’s joined in the investment group by Jalen Williams, and the project comes with a downtown Oklahoma City soccer stadium planned to welcome the club.
Westbrook’s connection to Oklahoma City runs deep. He spent the first 11 seasons of his Hall-of-Fame career there, became one of the defining NBA figures of the 2010s, and put together a resume that includes the 2016-17 MVP award, nine All-Star selections, two scoring titles, three assist titles and four seasons averaging a triple-double. Alongside Kevin Durant, he helped push the Thunder into their first true contender window, including the 2012 NBA Finals and four Western Conference Finals appearances.
Even now, as he continues to chase his NBA future, Westbrook is still giving something back to the place that helped make him a star.
In Other News...
Thunder May Have Just Sold Low On A Key Rotation Shooter
The Thunders latest cap move has drawn plenty of second-guessing, and it is easy to see why. Isaiah Joe had become one of Oklahoma Citys most useful bench pieces, a catch-and-shoot threat who gave the second unit real spacing and scoring punch, yet the club still chose to move him as it worked through a payroll squeeze.
Even after the deal, Oklahoma City remains roughly $13 million over the second-apron threshold, which is why the trade has landed as more of a financial reset than a basketball win. Zach Lowe was especially blunt in his criticism, arguing that Detroit took advantage of the Thunders need to shed money and came away with the better end of the bargain, leaving Oklahoma City with a decision that already looks like a sell-low moment. [Read more 🡒]
One Thunder Offseason Move Says Everything About OKCs Title Defense
Fresh off an NBA title and a run that came within reach of another Finals trip, the Thunder spent the offseason looking less like a team resting on its success and more like one trying to protect it. The front office kept the core intact where it mattered, bringing back Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, while also adding new pieces through the draft and reshaping the edges of the roster with an eye on both competitiveness and cost.
The result has been a transformational summer that says plenty about where Oklahoma City believes it is right now. This is a champion trying to stay young, deep and flexible at the same time, even if that means parting with useful rotation help like Aaron Wiggins and Joe and making some uncomfortable choices around the margins. For a team with title defense on its mind, the bigger question is how far it can keep threading that needle without losing the feel that made the first run work. [Read more 🡒]