Phil Ivey, DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Princess Love and Michael Mizrachi joined Russell Westbrook at the tables inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas' members-only Poodle Room

Proceeds support Westbrook Academy, summer camp and mental health programs, part of a 14-year Foundation effort spanning education, wellness and community support

Photos: HERE

Russell Westbrook and the Why Not? Foundation raised $912,500 Friday night at the Sixth Annual Why Not? Foundation Poker Night, held for the first time at Fontainebleau Las Vegas inside its members-only Poodle Room. Phil Ivey, DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Princess Love, Michael Mizrachi, Bill Perkins and Alan Keating joined Russell Westbrook at the tables, where Russell played in the tournament to its final hand.

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Russell Westbrook at the 6th annual Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation poker night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on September 18, 2026. Credit: Yevzphotography

The evening brought Poker Night's six-year total to nearly $3 million. Proceeds fund the Foundation's programs in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, including Westbrook Academy, the public charter school for grades 6 through 12 in South Los Angeles that the Westbrooks and the Foundation launched in 2020. The Class of 2026 graduated at a rate of 100 percent, and the school's permanent campus in South Gate includes science labs, a film studio and two on-site wellness centers. The school has one social worker for every 115 students, compared with roughly one for every 3,500 across Los Angeles County.

Hosted by Drea Renee and Vince Van Patten, the tournament brought some of poker’s best-known players to the tables alongside athletes, entertainers and longtime supporters of the Foundation. 11-time World Series of Poker champion Phil Ivey made a late entrance and quickly took command, eliminating Mayor Holt and Westbrook. In one of the night’s featured hands, Ivey moved all in for 33,000 and Westbrook made the call, giving the room a marquee Ivey-Westbrook showdown. Professional poker player Michail Grigorev ultimately won the 2026 Poker Night title, outlasting a final table that included Princess Love and Randall Emmett.

"This is the biggest night of the year for everything we do," said Russell Westbrook, founder of the Why Not? Foundation and Russell Westbrook Enterprises. "It pays for the school, for the kids' camp we run every July, for Thanksgiving meals in South Los Angeles, and for families in Altadena still rebuilding after the fire. We have kids who first came to camp when they were four years old who are teenagers now and still coming back. That's what means the most to me. We get to be part of their lives and watch them grow. Why not."

“Russell started this 14 years ago with two words and a question that wouldn't let him go: Why Not? I saw the work he was doing and knew I wanted in,” said Nina Westbrook, licensed marriage and family therapist and Why Not? Foundation advisory board member. “As a therapist and a mother, I want every young person we reach to have someone who sees them, someone they can actually talk to, and a place where they feel safe. Every dollar we raise means more counselors, more support, and more young people who learn they don't have to carry everything alone."

Earlier this summer, the Foundation worked with Shepherd's Door, Jenesse Center, Neighborhood Survants, Altadena Healing Village and Westbrook Academy on wellness and mental health programming across Los Angeles and Altadena, while continuing its wildfire recovery work with families affected by the Eaton Fire. In July, the Foundation hosted its annual Why Not? Basketball Camp, welcoming more than 200 young people across South Los Angeles and Altadena.

For more information, visit whynotfoundation.org.

About The Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation

Founded by Russell Westbrook in 2012, the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation aims to create pathways of empowerment for underserved populations. The foundation is committed to the perseverance of underserved communities by implementing structured educational opportunities, workforce development, and accessible mental health resources. With “Why Not?” being a personal ignition for Russell Westbrook, the foundation looks to instill this mindset in the youth while offering resources to set children and their communities up for continued success. For more information, please visit: whynotfoundation.org.

About Russell Westbrook Enterprises

Russell Westbrook Enterprises is a privately held operating and investment group founded and led by Russell Westbrook, spanning technology, media, consumer, healthcare, sports and real estate. Its portfolio includes Honor the Gift, RW Digital, Eazewell and a major Oklahoma City sports and entertainment development. Through RWE, Westbrook builds and owns companies, invests in businesses and works alongside operating teams to create long-term value. Westbrook is also co-founder and equity owner of Project B, where he serves on the board and leads basketball strategy.

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