Russell Westbrook buys mansion across from LeBron James

While there’s talk in the air of the Lakers trading Russell Westbrook, the star point guard has put his feet on firm ground with the purchase of a $37 million mansion in Los Angeles’ exclusive Brentwood section.

The house, named Vita Nova or “new life,” is located at 565 North Tigertail Road, TRD has learned. News of the sale was first reported Oct. 26 by Sports Illustrated website The Spun. The story was based on a Twitter post from sports business analyst Darren Rovell, which has since been deleted.

Westbrook bought a home across the street from teammate LeBron James.

Rovell wrote that the NBA star purchased the home from Formula 1 heiress Petra Ecclestone. She bought the home in 2019 for $23 million. The same year, Ecclestone made a big splash by selling the French chateau-like estate Spelling Manor in Holmby Hills for $120 million. Spelling Manor is currently on the market for $165 million.

Ecclestone’s husband is Hilton & Hyland agent Sam Palmer, who also confirmed a sale on his Instagram account. On Oct. 26, Palmer wrote that he worked with listing agents David Kramer and Barry Watts, also of Hilton & Hyland, to sell the mansion in an off-market deal.

Palmer and Ecclestone decamped from Brentwood to make their permanent residence in London, according to Palmer’s post. The post has since been taken down.

Meanwhile, the buyer Westbrook recently listed his mansion at 400 North Bristol Avenue near Brentwood with an asking price of about $30 million. The house is located about a two-minute drive away from his new mansion.

Palmer’s post did not mention who represented the buyer. Reportedly it was Compass agent Morgan Trent, a former cornerback for the NFL Cincinnati Bengals.

Vita Nova is based on a half-acre and features a 13,500-square-foot mansion with eight beds and 11.5 baths. A gate and tall hedges hide the house from the street.

The grounds include quarters for staff and several glass-walled offices and a professional grade laundry service. Ecclestone and Palmer also gave their mansion its own identity with a distinctive Vita Nova logo and products used in the home such as Vita Nova towels, candles and a fragrance with coconut and lavender aroma, according to a New York Times story last year.