Nipsey Hussle was influential musician and one of the top emcees in the game. However, he had plans to expand his reach beyond the entertainment industry prior to his untimely death.
In a recent interview, NBA stars Russell Westbrook and James Harden revealed the late-rapper had plans to start a sports agency before he was fatally gunned down.
The former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates were both close with Nipsey Hussle and sat down to discuss the impact his death had on them for a feature in GQ. It was during that interview that Harden revealed he had dinner with Nipsey a few days before his death and that the rapper had plans for the Marathon Sports Agency.
“So me, him, and [James’ manager] Zo and all the homies, we were just talking about it,” Harden said. “We just had an in-depth conversation, smoking a cigar in the back, just chopping it up about how big we can make this. And then one day I’m sitting back in Vegas, and I get the phone call, and I’m like, ‘It’s impossible.’
“I still want to figure out how to make [the agency] happen. Like, that’s one of my goals.”
Westbrook also noted the first person he called after learning Nipsey was shot in Los Angeles was his former teammate.
“Hearing the news, James was one of the first calls I made,” Westbrook said. “There was no hesitation about it because we understand his impact, what he was doing and why. We understand who he was. It wasn’t no fluff. Now the rest of the world understands.”
Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed on Sunday, March 31 outside of his clothing store — Marathon Clothing — in Los Angeles, California. The rapper was 33 years old. Hussle was recently nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards for his debut studio album “Victory Lap.” Initially, reports claimed that the murder in broad daylight was a result of gang violence, but it was later revealed that it stemmed from a personal issue between Nipsey and the shooter, Eric Holder, who is now in police custody and charged with murder.