Beast Mode with Russell Westbrook

Blessed with unreal explosiveness and forever motivated by the very real loss of his best friend, Russell Westbrook somehow keeps getting better.

- Ryne Nelson

Tenth graders Khelcey Barrs and Russell Westbrook stepped into L.A. Southwest College just as they had many times that spring. They were accompanied by their high school head coach, Reggie Morris Jr, who at 24 was only a few years removed from his playing days at the community college.

Khelcey, a 6-6 athletic kid who was considered a national top-40 recruit, played the game with an ease that belied his 16 years of age. Westbrook, a scrawny 5-9 guard with size 14 shoes, was physically behind his best friend but understood how to play and was a big competitor.

Both had fiery demeanors, although Russ was the calmer of the two.

They would run against some of L.A.’s finest competition. Some high school upperclassmen, a lot of college players, some older guys who played in college and overseas.

“Me and my assistant coach would always go up to play and we would put Khelcey and Russ on our team,” Morris says. “And on most days we would definitely hold our own and get our fair share of wins.”

Russ was a quiet kid who let his game do the talking. Khelcey was outgoing and possessed an outward confidence. They lived directly across the street from each other and were inseparable on and off the court.

They would constantly talk about growing up together, winning a state title or two before playing at UCLA and, later on, in the NBA.

But nearly 12 years ago, on May 11, 2004, a day where the duo was running up the win count at L.A. Southwest, Khelcey passed out on the court. His breathing stopped momentarily before he was revived and brought to the emergency room.

In a blur of screeching sneakers and ambulance sirens, Khelcey was pronounced dead of an enlarged heart by the time he reached the hospital.

Not one to express his emotional devastation, Russ vowed to never let Khelcey’s memory fade. Khelcey would become the chip on his shoulder.