Key Takeaways

• Russell Westbrook keeps a list of Nina Westbook’s funniest quotes, which she dubbed “Nina-isms.”
• The couple reflected on their first vacation without kids since their honeymoon and how it helped them reconnect.
• They talked about managing their careers while staying emotionally present in their relationship and as parents.

Russell Westbrook shared a personal detail about his marriage on the latest episode of the “Do Tell Relationship Podcast,” hosted by his wife and licensed marriage and family therapist Nina Westbrook. During the episode, Russell revealed that he keeps a running list of his wife’s memorable comments on his phone.

“Anytime I say anything to him that he finds worthy of his documenting, he writes it down,” Nina said.

“It’s called Nina’s favorite lines,” Russell added before reading one entry out loud, which came from a FaceTime exchange. “Nina said she missed me. I call her. FaceTime declined. I text, ‘I called you.’ [She responded,] ‘I know, I’m busy… I said I missed you, but I didn’t say I wanted to talk to you,” he recalled. “Like, who says that?… I thought you missed me. So, you just missed what? You just don’t want to talk to me?”

Nina later called the list unusual: “He has a whole list of crazy things in his phone. Nina-isms… Why are you saving them? It’s so weird.”

Russell and Nina Westbrook discuss first trip without kids since their honeymoon

The couple also reflected on their recent vacation, which Nina said was their longest trip without children since their honeymoon. “I don’t know if we have taken a trip, just us, for that long…” Russell began before Nina completed the thought, “… since our honeymoon. And even that, we cut short.”

Nina explained that it took considerable time for her to disconnect. “It took me 12 days [to reset].” Russell described his approach as much faster: “I try to do something immediately, whether it’s [going] to the gym late night or… going [to] grab lunch. Doing something that I love to do, one of my hobbies, to kind of reset and then continue going.”

Russell Westbrook on balancing providing and connecting in marriage

Russell also addressed how professional responsibilities can affect family relationships. “If somebody’s trying to achieve a goal… You may think, ‘Hey, my focus is my job, I need to make sure I’m providing,’ and it’s not intentional, but then your relationship may suffer in the sense of there’s no connectivity, there’s no connection with your partner,” he said.

Nina added that balancing family and career often depends on timing. “There are seasons for [different priorities],” she explained. “Sometimes, I’m more present with the kids… And then, sometimes, my work is taking up most of my time.”