“Any significance to the number zero?” a Topps Digital reporter shouted over the background noise, which bounced off the tall ceilings at the trading card company’s 2008 NBA rookie photo shoot.
“No, not really,” said a 19-year-old Russell Westbrook, sporting Oklahoma City on his black practice jersey. “I wanted number 4, but somebody had it.”
That No. 4 (Nick Collison) was the first number raised to the rafters in Chesapeake Energy Arena, but Westbrook’s No. 0 captivated the city of OKC like none other has. It graced billboards, store windows, jerseys both in and out of the arena.