Russell Westbrook Says He Preferred LB over RB Because He 'Likes to Hit People'

Anybody who has seen Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook on the basketball court knows how insanely athletic he is, so it should come as no surprise he played several sports growing up.

In case you were unaware, football was among the sports Westbrook played as a kid, taking the field at both running back and linebacker. When recently talking about his days as a football player, the Thunder point guard revealed he preferred playing linebacker to running back because he likes contact.

More specifically, he likes to hit people.

At 6'3" and 200 pounds, Westbrook doesn't quite have the build of a linebacker. Even though he may lack NFL size, he does compete with plenty of aggressiveness and explosiveness, which would help him play bigger than he is—just like he does on the basketball court.

Westbrook also revealed he played baseball and tennis and bowled. When asked what kind of tennis player he was, the five-time NBA All-Star had the perfect answer:

[Anthony Slater]