Basketball practice report II: Russell Westbrook . . . the Flaming Hawk

Sophomore guard Russell Westbrook drew a lot of interest from reporters after Tuesday’s practice. Look at that hairstyle!

"It’s the Flaming Hawk," he said. "It was my idea. I wanted to do it. My hair was long. I did it in high school before . . . different designs. I wanted to get a new style, be different."

Although he designed the look, a Mohawk with side panels showing a basketball with flames coming off of it, a barber from Westbrook’s neighborhood named Jabari did the actual styling for him for $20 last Sunday.

On the court, Westbrook said he’s comfortable playing either at the point or at shooting guard. Bruin coach Ben Howland asked him to improve his shot over the summer, and he worked at it daily.

"I tried to work on my shot every day," he said. "I still do now, before or after practice, off days; still trying to get better every day." During the summer, he’s shoot for two or more hours and always make 500 shots before he finished.

He also feels better after gaining some weight. "I’m bigger, faster, stronger from over the summer.," he explained. "I was 186, 188 [last year], now I’m up to 195. It helps a lot because in college, everybody’s bigger and people are stronger, so it really helps me out."

Russell Westbrook photos by Rich Perelman.