WILL WESTBROOK BAG MVP AWARD?
Westbrook to learn today if historic season will end with first MVP award Westbrook in contention for MVP together with Leonard, Harden Westbrook first player since Robertson to have triple double average
A year ago, uncertainty surrounded Russell Westbrook.
Kevin Durant stunned the league by leaving Oklahoma City for rival Golden State in free agency. The four-time scoring champion and former MVP had been the central piece in making the Thunder one of the league’s elite teams since the franchise’s move to Oklahoma City in 2008.
Westbrook had played his entire NBA career alongside Durant, so questions about how Westbrook would respond immediately cropped up.
He defiantly answered them with memorable performances.
Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double for a season and won his second scoring title. He broke Robertson’s single-season record with 42 triple-doubles and led the Thunder to the playoffs. Now, he will join Houston’s James Harden and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard as finalists for the league’s MVP award. The winner will be announced Monday at the inaugural NBA Awards show.
Westbrook gained satisfaction from the team’s success, which largely was fueled by his personal dominance.
“With everything happening last summer, people counted us out,” he said the day after Oklahoma City’s season ended. “They weren’t sure how many games we were going to win or how far we were going to go or whatever, but I think the group of guys, we never let that sink in our building. We stuck together, and that’s the thing I’m most proud about.”
Westbrook wasn’t just stat stuffing, either. The Thunder went 33-9 when he had a triple-double and 14-26 when he didn’t. He seemingly gained energy as the season progressed and was statistically better after the All-Star break than before. As for those late-game situations, he led the league with 10 points per game in the fourth quarter and was one of the most dynamic closers in the league. /