Westbrook’s value goes beyond basketball court
Jump shots and dribble drives have never really been Morgan Jackson’s thing.
Bunsen burners and test tubes are more her speed.
But a few years back, she took a shine to Russell Westbrook. She liked him so much that her friends started referring to the Thunder superstar as “Morgan’s guy.”
It’s an adoration, though, that has nothing to do with what he does on the basketball court.
On the day it’s widely believed Westbrook will receive the coveted Most Valuable Player award, there will be lots of discussion about his importance to the Thunder. His scoring. His rebounding. His passing. His leadership.
But for many in and around Oklahoma City, Westbrook’s value has long been known through the lives he’s impacted. Sometimes, it has happened during events that are big and well-publicized. Other times, the moments are small and quiet.
The impact, though, is profound.
It was for Jackson — Westbrook helped her live a dream.
When she was in middle school, she started going to the Boys & Girls Club on Western Avenue. Her mom needed after-school care for her two younger brothers, but because the price was so reasonable, Jackson and her older brother started going, too.
Soon, the siblings were there not only after school but also during breaks and summers.
“We were there all the time,” Jackson said.
Westbrook became a regular around the same time. Growing up in Los Angeles, Westbrook was a Boys & Girls Club kid. He knew how important it was to have a safe, nurturing place to go while his parents were at work, and he knew the same was true for the kids going to the facility in Oklahoma City.
He started doing big events at the club, such as spring cleaning days with fellow Thunder teammates and the Why Not? Foundation’s Thanksgiving dinner where Westbrook always — — serves the mashed potatoes.
But he would show up and just hang out with a handful of kids. He’d talk about setting goals, staying on track, getting good grades.
Four years ago, his foundation donated $50,000 for scholarships to club kids.
Jackson had just finished high school when she heard about the scholarships. After being accepted to the prestigious and rigorous Oklahoma School of Science and Math, she developed a passion for biology and anatomy. She relished the challenge of those sciences, and she realized she wanted to make it her life’s work.
Medical school was her goal — and she had a plan to reach it.
“I was really wed to the idea of going to a big university,” she said, adding that the opportunities for research and networking were significant. “And I really liked the University of Tulsa.
“I had been to the campus. I knew that I really liked it. I really wanted to make that happen.”
She got accepted to Tulsa, but after applying for every scholarship, federal grant and student loan available, she ended up about $3,000 short. The last option was her parents taking out a bank loan, an option that Jackson simply wouldn’t allow.
She started considering alternatives. Junior college close to home. A gap year to save money.
“Just a lot of options that were not close to ideal,” she said.
Then she got news that she’d received a Why Not? scholarship. The value: $5,000. She could live her dream. Last spring, she not only graduated from Tulsa but also was accepted into medical school. She chose the OU School of Community Medicine in Tulsa and plans to focus on blood cancers and diseases.
Maybe all of that would’ve happened had Jackson not gotten that scholarship from Westbrook’s foundation — but she is glad that she didn’t have to find out.
“Some of the opportunities I picked up ... I would not have had those,” she said.
Morgan Jackson hopes that Russell Westbrook wins the MVP on Monday night, but to her, his value has never been in doubt.