Russell Westbrook talks Houston Rockets, seat dancing, beards on Fallon

Houston Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook visited the Tonight Show on Tuesday to catch Jimmy Fallon up on his offseason so far.

Rocking an outfit from his clothing line, Honor the Gift, All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook was quick to admit that it felt strange but exciting to be referred to as the starting point guard for the Houston Rockets. After spending 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s easy to see why.

“Houston’s great. They got some good food over there,” declared Jimmy Fallon after mentioning the recent trade, to which Russ promptly agreed.

Referring to James Harden as “the bearded one,” Russell admitted to Jimmy that he wouldn’t be capable of matching the iconic facial hair of his new teammate even if he wanted:

“See, this is the problem. I’ve never shaved in my life, so what I got is what I got. Whatever you see, that’s it. So this is what you’re gonna get. I’ve been growing this for about 30 years,” lamented Westbrook.

Fallon’s team mocked up what a fully bearded Westbrook would look like, much to the delight of Russ, who acknowledged it was “not bad.”

Jimmy shows @russwest44 what he would look like with new teammate James Harden’s signature beard #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/ZuJHpVueXe

— Fallon Tonight (@FallonTonight) September 11, 2019

When it came down to the newly released NBA 2K20, Russell didn’t seem too impressed with his rating. After being handed a card that revealed his rating was a 90, Westbrook humorously tossed the card to the side, exclaiming, “I feel like [the crowd] is clapping because it’s good, but to me, it doesn’t mean [expletive]. Nothing.”

Russell also used the national stage to talk about his charity foundation Why Not, which focuses on impacting and inspiring youth in a positive way:

“Besides my family, it’s the most important thing I focus on. Impacting and inspiring the youth is the most important thing to me, and the most important thing in the world today that everybody should focus on. I think it’s important that we instill self-confidence before anything else.

Seeing how much Westbrook cares about the community and helping others is inspiring and will be one of the biggest reasons the city of Houston will embrace him for seasons to come.

To wrap up the interview, Fallon couldn’t miss the opportunity to learn some of Westbrook’s famous pre-game seated dance moves. After playing a compilation of some of Russell’s best moves, Jimmy tried his best to keep up with the beat as best as he could.

Russell Westbrook’s lighthearted nature and generosity are just a couple of the positive things to look forward to as he ventures south to Houston this season.

While he’ll have to leave the beard-growing to James, Russell Westbrook is sure to make a favorable impact on the city of Houston upon his arrival.