Westbrook named league MVP
Thunder guard set season mark for triple-doubles
NEWYORK—GuardRussell Westbrook was voted NBA MVP Monday night aftersetting a record with 42 triple-doubles in the 2016-17 season.
Westbrook’s honor ended the first NBA Awards show, which included two wins apiece for the Houston Rocketsand Milwaukee Bucks.
Westbrook joined Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for the season, and he broke Robertson’s single-season record set when he had 41 triple-doublesin 1961-62.
Westbrook beat out Houston’s James Harden and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard to succeed Stephen Curry, who had won the past two MVP awards.
“Everybody in Oklahoma City that let me go out and compete at a high level every night,” Westbrook said.
Saying he told himself he wouldn’t cry, Westbrook became tearful and emotional as he thanked his family, including his mother, brother and wife, each of whom was inattendance.
“I couldn’t thank everybody, everybodyalongthe way.” thanks, who you helped guys, meto
Earlier, Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon became the first player not picked in the first round to win NBA rookie of the year in the common era.
Brogdon was the No. 36 overall beganin“I thinkThe selection1966. it’s commonan exampleout draftof Virginia.erafor guys short, that they are are told theynot athleticare too enough, they are not real point guards, they are not real shooting guards,” Brogdon said. “I just think it’s an important message for people to see, and it can be done. It justtakes a lot.”
Teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo won the mostimproved player award. Houston coach Mike D’Antoni won his second coach of the year award, and theRockets’ Eric Gordon was sixth man of the year after setting a record for most 3pointers off the bench in his firstseason as a reserve. Two of the best momentsbut came during segments that didn’t include the NBA’s six individua lawards. Bill Russell was presented the first Lifetime Achievement award, welcomed on stage by fellow Hall of Fame centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,draft David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo. The 11-time champion as a player and the league’s first black coach first pointed at them and joked that he would have kicked their butts, then told them: “You have no idea how much respectI have for you guys.” Former Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams was given the SagerStrong Award for the strength he showed after his wife was killedin a car crash.