Russell Westbrook Returns to Hollywood, Set to Produce Showtime Documentary About Himself
While his new teammate recently starred in "Space Jam: A New Legacy," Russell Westbrook is taking a different approach to filmmaking this offseason.
The former UCLA men's basketball guard and newly-minted Los Angeles Laker is set to produce a documentary about himself titled "Passion Plays: Russell Westbrook." The film will air on Showtime at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15, four days before the 2021-2022 NBA season tips off.
This isn't Westbrook's first soiree into documentaries either, as he produced "Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre" alongside renowned documentarian Stanley Nelson and production company Blackfin. The program aired on the History Channel on May 30.
"Tulsa Burning" was nominated for three Emmy Awards for its writing, sound editing and musical composition.
This new project, however, will provide a look into Westbrook's personal life..
“I’m proud to share this documentary and give audiences an inside look into who I really am on and off the court,” Westbrook said in a statement. “There are a lot of misconceptions about me but I’m ready to share my story and my journey with my fans.”
Westbrook's story started in Los Angeles, as he was born in Long Beach, grew up in Hawthorne and attended Leuzinger High School (CA) in Lawndale. He would go on to play for UCLA for two years, going to two Final Fours and becoming a college star in the 2007-2008 season before getting scooped up by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Westbrook also met his future wife, Nina Westbrook, in Westwood while she was playing for UCLA women's basketball.
After playing for the Thunder, Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards, Westbrook will return to LA this year after getting dealt to the Lakers in the offseason.
Gotham Chopra is a co-director for "Passion Plays." Chopra paired up with Showtime in 2015 for a documentary going through the life and career of Kobe Bryant called "Muse." He also created and directed "Tom vs. Time," a 2018 docuseries about the longevity and personal life of Tom Brady that ran on Facebook Watch.
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