Russell Westbrook Honored with National Geographic Cover for 2026 Nat Geo 33

Most people know Russell Westbrook as a star basketball player, but he has used his platform to do far more than build a Hall of Fame resume on the court.

National Geographic honored the Sacramento Kings guard as part of its Nat Geo 33 2026 list, which recognizes those who use their platforms to address challenges around the world.

He made the list by doing what he could to improve clean infrastructure while also helping Black and brown youth find job opportunities in technology.

Westbrook partnered with Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), which is a nonprofit, to install clean-energy infrastructure across the city. Those efforts also helped launch workforce training to build toward the electrification of the city's municipal and commercial fleets.

The partnership was a way to help Los Angeles' smog issues to help create cleaner air by the 2028 Olympics, but Westbrook, who is from the Southern California area, was looking for long-term benefits as well.

"This isn't just about the Games," he previously said at a clean-tech summit. "It's about creating opportunities, jobs, investment and a future where our communities benefit."

Helping the Los Angeles area is nothing new for the UCLA product.

His Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation has partnered with nonprofits in the city for more than a decade to help create pathways for Black and brown youth by distributing laptops in schools, facilitating job-training programs and more. 

He also helped create the Westbrook Academy, which is a charter middle and high school in South Los Angeles that partnered with the L.A. Promise Fund. A new campus with new classrooms, science labs and a dedicated STEM program started in the 2024 academic year.

Westbrook followed that up with events during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles to promote job opportunities in clean tech.

Russell Westbrook Throws It Down

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That he is such an accomplished basketball player only means he has a bigger platform, as he is one of the most notable players of his generation.

He entered the league as the No. 4 overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft and has built a resume that features the 2016-17 MVP, two scoring titles, nine All-NBA selections, three assist titles and nine All-Star Game nods.

While Westbrook is best known for his time on the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-09 through 2018-19, he has since suited up for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings.

The 37-year-old is no longer as dominant as he was during his MVP peak, but he is still a fan favorite and surely headed to the Hall of Fame after he retires.

And his efforts off the court only endear him more to those fans and caught National Geographic's eye as it was putting together its latest annual list.