Westbrook producing basketball-themed short film 'Why Not?'

Russell Westbrook has a new film project on the way.

The Washington Wizards star has partnered with Sony's Incubation Lab and Jordan Brand to produce a short film called "Why Not?"

The project will showcase the culture of the Crenshaw neighborhood in Los Angeles and "aims to expose youth in marginalized communities to the ever-growing technology space," according to Variety's Angelique Jackson.

Directed by Tevin Tavares, "Why Not?" tells the story of a top high school basketball player who teams up with a local teen tech wizard after the sport is taken away from him.

"A lot of the youth in Black and Brown communities look at the tech space as an almost impossible field to exist within," Westbrook said. "They don't often see themselves represented at the major tech companies of the world, and they don't see it as the 'cool' thing to do. Well, 'Why Not?'

"'Why Not' is a mantra I live by. Because I believe it is important to empower the next generation and encourage them to never give up. Why can't young Black kids in untapped neighborhoods like Crenshaw get exposed to tech? This film is that story, and I hope it inspires kids in marginalized communities around the world."

Westbrook, 32, previously partnered with documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson and producer Blackfin on the History channel series "Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre."