While Russell Westbrook is now at the Mile High City playing for the Denver Nuggets, his heart still beats for Oklahoma. Well, that was his home for over a decade so it is only right. Now, years after his departure, the veteran has made moves in the city by making a major investment in the community. This is a pretty similar route that Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry took by raising $25 million to bridge the literacy gap among students in Oakland. Earlier this year, Oklahoma City was approved for a new soccer stadium which will be developed into a world-class facility.

As part of the project, Westbrook’s company is joining hands with Echo, a firm founded by Christian Kanady, to fund sports and entertainment in the city. The former OKC star has committed eight figures to an investment worth around $10 million for the cause. This will go into building a 12,000-seat stadium for Oklahoma City Energy FC, a team competing in the United Soccer League in which Echo is the majority owner.

Westbrook expressed his excitement for the project by saying, “My time with the OKC Thunder shaped so much of who I am, so becoming Christian’s partner and investing in the city’s continued growth is not only exciting personally, but Echo’s Sports and Entertainment vertical is unlike anything else I’ve seen in the space,” acknowledging his connection with the city an also committing towards its future.

Furthermore, the companies also plan to invest money in developing the stadium’s surroundings, which will feature an entertainment district with dining, retail, and community spaces. And guess where the site is, it’s in Oklahoma’s downtown area near its convention center and NBA arena a place of which Westbrook has fond memories.

Steph and Ayesha Curry’s $25 million commitment to Oakland

Earlier this year when Steph Curry signed a contract extension with the Golden State Warriors, which ensured his stay with the team till the 2026-27 season. Following this, he and his wife Ayesha Curry pledged a huge sum of $25 million through their foundation Eat. Learn. Play. to the literacy programs in Oakland.

Curry has been a beloved guy in the city and he feels the same way for Oakland. This can be seen through his philanthropic work in the city. The funding which will be done over five years will be channeled to providing one-on-one tutoring for children who are at least two grade levels behind in reading. It’s much more than just closing the literacy gap as per the couple who stated, “This commitment is about more than just closing the literacy gap—it’s about giving these kids the confidence to succeed in all areas of life.”

Ayesha and Steph further added, “We’ve seen firsthand the impact this level of tutoring support can have on a child’s development, and it is our hope that we can work to close the literacy gap and encourage reading for a generation of students“. Their foundation has been doing a lot of work to help the community of Oakland which includes serving more than 25 million meals, investing in schools, and revitalizing school and community play spaces.