NBA star Russell Westbrook raises nearly $1 million in charity poker tournament.

Russell Westbrook's sixth annual charity poker tournament was held in Las Vegas, raising nearly $1 million for the Why Not? Foundation. Poker stars such as Phil Ivey and Michael Mizrachi attended, with Michail Grigorev taking the title.

Russell Westbrook, one of the NBA's greatest shooting guards in history, hosted his annual charity poker tournament in Las Vegas, an event that was a huge success.

The recently retired NBA star raised nearly $1 million through his "Why Not? Foundation" in partnership with the World Poker Tour (WPT) for the sixth annual Poker Night. This brings the total raised over the past six years to nearly $3 million, all of which has been donated to charity.

Many poker superstars joined Westbrook at the Las Vegas poker event, including WPT ambassadors Phil Ivey and Vince Van Patten, as well as 2025 WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi. Some NBA colleagues, such as DeAndre Jordan and Harrison Barnes, also attended Fontainebleau's members-only Poodle Room.

Fundraising in Las Vegas

Westbrook, often simply called "Russ," played 18 seasons in the NBA, averaging 20.9 points per game, and played for seven different teams. He led the league in scoring twice and won the Most Valuable Player award with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016-2017 season.

Even during his playing career, Westbrook—who earned over $350 million in basketball career—used his platform to give back to the community. One way he did this was through annual charity poker tournaments.

Every year, Westbrook invites poker stars and celebrities to help raise funds for his "Why Not?" Foundation. He created the foundation to inspire young people's lives, teach them to always ask themselves "Why Not?", and help them build resilience that never gives up.

The poker tournament has a buy-in of $10,000 and comes with some extra perks, including a one-night stay at the luxurious new resort Fontainebleau on the Las Vegas Strip.

Westbrook participated in the tournament. He went all-in with top pair on the flop but nearly lost his draw to reality TV star Princess Love. Princess Love flopped top two pair and maintained her lead on the turn and river.

Poker pro Michail Grigorev ultimately won the poker tournament. He defeated a seasoned final table including Princess Love and Randall Emmett. Ivey, Mizrachi, and Westbrook all failed to reach the final table. But winning the tournament wasn't the main focus of the night—the focus was on raising funds for charity, and that's exactly what happened that night.

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