Westbrook racks up the dealership points

Russell Westbrook can do a lot of things.

The 2016-17 NBA Most Valuable Player is known for zipping around the court at a frenetic pace as he racks up points, dishes out assists and snags rebounds to kick-start fast breaks — all while being among the league leaders in steals.

His versatility extends off the court as well. Dealer Bob Nouri showcased Westbrook's singing skills — or lack thereof — in an ad campaign a decade ago for a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram store in Norman, Okla.

"I didn't think it would be a great idea, but it actually turned out very well," Westbrook, who played 11 seasons for the Oklahoma City Thunder before being traded this summer to the Houston Rockets, said in an interview.

It was a "funny commercial that myself and a few of my teammates did and turned out great for the city," Westbrook told Automotive News. "People got a chance to see us in a different light."

The ad was an early building block in a friendship between Westbrook and Nouri that has blossomed into a formidable business partnership. Westbrook, after his stint as a dealership pitchman, is now an owner.

The 30-year-old has a burgeoning group of five stores with Nouri in his native Southern California.

He acquired his first store, now called Russell Westbrook Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Van Nuys, in 2016 — a year after Nouri moved to California and sold his stake in his Oklahoma dealerships. Westbrook added three Hyundai stores in Orange County in 2017 before investing in an Alfa Romeo-Maserati dealership in Van Nuys this year. It has been one of Alfa Romeo's volume leaders.

Westbrook's original store has a unique feature befitting an NBA star: an indoor basketball court.

"The customer comes in while they're sitting there dealing with managers and salespeople, [and] the kids are playing," Nouri told Automotive News. "You'd be amazed how many customers, after they make their deals [and] while they're waiting to finance, go there and start shooting basketball."

The busy Westbrook leaves the day-to-day business in the hands of Nouri and another partner, Pete Shaver, whom Nouri credits with turning around the Hyundai dealerships that had been struggling. Westbrook pops in from time to time to see how his stores are doing, and Nouri said he gives Westbrook email updates each month on their performance.

Nouri also touts the sales results of Westbrook stores on Instagram by posting rankings among dealerships selling the same brands. The posts often get "likes" from their All-Star namesake.

Westbrook's knowledge of the car business is growing.

"There's a lot of things that surprised me," he said. "I obviously didn't know everything, but just the times of year where people buy more cars, the time of the year where it's slower. How important customer service is. I think customer service is a huge part of the car business that goes unheard of. And I think people take customer service very seriously when it comes to their vehicles."

Westbrook's name carries weight on his home turf, but the dealerships don't use him as a prop to get people into the showroom. Nouri said they don't announce when Westbrook will be at the stores, although he'll often take photos with customers during impromptu appearances.

Westbrook also features in some of the group's marketing. In one ad for the CDJR store in Van Nuys, Westbrook makes a shot on the dealership's court and says it has "the best deals, the best selections and the best customer service in Southern California."

Westbrook, who said he always had an interest in cars, is playing the long game with his dealership investments. He sees them as something he can build on and pass on to his children.

Westbrook doesn't plan on stopping at five stores, either. He said the key is just to "find different points where we can make an impact."

"I like cars. It's a passion of mine," Westbrook said. "It's a lucrative business ... if you think of the long term and not thinking of making quick money. [It's] something for my kids down the line, for their kids. It's something that lives on forever. People need cars. It's a good business for me to be in."

Nouri and Westbrook met in 2008 as the UCLA standout began his rookie season for the Thunder, the former SuperSonics franchise that had just moved from Seattle.

Nouri remembers a sports agency calling him one day saying that Westbrook was coming to town and needed a vehicle. Nouri is an NBA fan but doesn't watch college basketball, so he wasn't familiar with Westbrook.

The agency said Westbrook would be available for promotional visits in return for a vehicle, but Nouri said he wouldn't have to do so. Westbrook still stopped by a few days later and met with Nouri, who invited him to an upcoming party where they got to know each other better. Things took off from there.

It was around 2009 when Nouri, whose dealership group had developed a knack for catchy advertising, wanted to center a campaign around a slightly modified version of Sue Thompson's 1960s hit "Norman" to play off the CDJR store's location in Norman, an Oklahoma City suburb. The jingle had been stuck in Nouri's head, so he decided to catch his high-flying buddy off guard one day with a request while they were hanging out at a burger joint: He wanted Westbrook to sing in the commercial.

The reluctant Westbrook eventually agreed, and he was joined by Thunder teammates Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison and D.J. White. Nouri said the spot, which featured a playful Westbrook laughing and singing off-key with his crew, resonated. The campaign grew to the point where later ads featured random people around Oklahoma City singing the tune.

When Nouri told Westbrook he was planning to buy the Van Nuys CDJR store, Westbrook said he wanted to be a partner in it. Nouri recalls Westbrook showing interest in the car business in Oklahoma City, and he once showed Westbrook a 2012 Automotive News article about retired NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone's Toyota store in suburban Salt Lake City.

Westbrook said he's willing to give advice to other athletes who want to dive into auto retailing one day.

"I would lend a hand if anyone wants to know about it," Westbrook said. "My personal advice is, if you like it and love to do it, and you're interested, you should do it. I don't think you should do it just because someone else is doing it."