Proctor Basketball Player Remembers Special Moment with NBA Star Russell Westbrook

Nyberg would get a special signed ball from the former MVP after beating him in a game of "knockout".

PROCTOR, Minn. – The restart of the NBA season is right around the corner and it’s bringing back fond memories for one local basketball player from Proctor.

Two years ago this week, Ty Nyberg, who was ten years old at the time, took part in a basketball camp hosted by NBA superstar Russell Westbrook, who was then playing for Ty’s favorite team, the Okalahoma City Thunder. Ty was then selected to play a game of “knockout” with a few of the kids and the former league MVP. And he would end up getting the win over his favorite player in the NBA.

“It was me and Russell Westbrook for like, 10 rounds. And I remember he dunked on me and blocked me once. It was unbelievable. It was like crazy. I couldn’t even really think about it. It was just happening. It was crazy,” Nyberg said.

Afterwards, Westbrook would take the winning ball and sign it for Ty to keep. And this wasn’t the only time Ty would run into Westbrook as the point guard later visited the Target Center in Minneapolis for a game against the Timberwolves.

“My mom printed out a poster that said ‘Remember me?’ with that picture when I was holding the ball and we took a picture together. He looked at it for a little bit and then he signed it. It was cool,” said Nyberg.