NBA Star Russell Westbrook to Visit CBS SUNDAY MORNING, 4/19

Russell Westbrook has been called one of the best basketball players in the NBA right now, but he's also generating raves off the court as a style maven, something he gets from his mother, he tells Vladimir Duthiers in an interview for CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD.

Westbrook, a star in the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, says he wasn't always into fashion. "But my mom always dressed nice," he tells Duthiers in an interview to be broadcast April 19 (9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. "I followed her lead. She was always fresh - even dressed my dad up to make sure he was looking nice."

Now, however, Westbrook is considered a trendsetter. In fact, when he's not busy racking up points for the Thunder, Westbrook can be found at fashion shows or creating his own clothing empire.

"My whole thing is not trying to dress like anybody else," Westbrook tells Duthiers. "Try to find a niche and find something that I like. But also, you know, not looking too crazy. But have a happy medium between both."

The fashion world is a long way away from his childhood in inner-city Los Angeles. His family lived simply. As a student he focused on getting good grades and playing sports. He went on to play basketball at UCLA. After two seasons at UCLA, he entered the 2008 NBA draft. It wasn't long before Westbrook starting earning style points off the court, generating a wave of social media buzz in 2012, when, during the NBA playoffs, he wore eccentric outfits to postgame press conferences.

"I didn't expect the reaction I was going to get, you know, from that particular outfit," Westbrook says.

Then he saw the reaction on Twitter and different social media platforms.

"I'm just like, you know, wow, this is crazy," Westbrook says, and a fashion EMPIRE was born.

The hoops star also talks with Duthiers about his struggle breaking into the NBA, his budding career as a designer, his charity to open reading rooms at elementary schools, his family and life off the court.

CBS SUNDAY MORNING is broadcast Sundays (9:00-10:30 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. Rand Morrison is the executive producer.

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