Sam Rometti of Iron River, MI writes: “Instead of pouting, Russell Westbrook took his game to a new level, breaking Robertson’s triple-doubles record and leading the League in scoring.”
Just one year ago Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were facing the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. They were up three games to one. They looked to be playing their best basketball since the time Westbook and KD joined the Thunder.
But the Warriors prevailed, winning the next three games, to win the series.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated
Many people blamed Durant for the loss. He struggled in Game 7.
But even though Durant was a free agent, most people (including Thunder players and staff) were confident that he’d sign a long-term deal to stay with OKC.
Friends close to Durant said they were 90% positive he’d remain with the Thunder for life.
Thunder’s management felt confident, too. But when it came to decision time Durant not only met with the Thunder, he had meetings with the Spurs, Celtics, Heat, Clippers, and Warriors. The California meeting included key players–Curry, Thompson, Green, and Iguodala.
The Thunder scheduled another meeting with Durant, but this time they didn’t feel as confident. Nick Collison and Russell Westbrook met with Durant, and reports said that Wesbrook even asked Durant how he could change his game for the better.
It was clear at that point that the decision would come down to the Thunder or Warriors. And on July 4, 2016 Durant announced he’d be going to Golden State. He said he wanted to make a change in his life and career.
That decision was met by Thunder fans with tears, anger, and disbelief. Westbrook heard the news the same way as the fans did. Durant didn’t let him know in advance.
USA Today
With Kevin gone, the Thunder now had enough Cap space to offer Russell a contract extension. Many fans thought that if Russ didn’t re-sign, then the Thunder would be forced to trade him. But Russell accepted the extension and became a OKC hero.
But he Thunder also knew that life-after-Durant wasn’t going to be easy. The impact of losing a great player can’t be minimized. To compensate for that loss, they knew Russell would need to take his game to a new level.
Many NBA experts were skeptical. They weren’t even convinced that the Thunder would make the playoffs.
Russell had to prove doubters wrong.
He jumped out to an amazing start. He scored 52 points in the second game of the season and recorded a triple-double in an OT win over the Suns.
The Thunder won four more and got off to a 5-0 start. Then they traveled to Golden State. The winning streak ended there. The Warriors torched the Thunder, 122-96, as Durant scored 39.
But as the season progressed, Russell kept putting up big scoring numbers and notching triple-doubles. Then February 11th came. It was a rematch: the 46-8 Warriors traveled to OKC to play the Thunder.
Courtesy: sportingnews.com
The fans went crazy as the Thunder came out swinging, taking a 15-8 lead, before the Warriors stormed back and took a big halftime lead. Russell did all he could to bring back the Thunder, but it wasn’t enough. He finished with 47 pts, but Durant had 34 in a Golden State 130-114 win.
Westbrook kept playing hard. OKC had a 33-25 record at All-Star Break and Westbrook was also on track to break Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 triple-doubles.
Every time Russell was asked about the triple-doubles record he gave the same answer: “I just want to win.”
On April 9th Russell not only broke Oscar Robertson’s record, but his buzzer-beating three-pointer beat the Nuggets, eliminating Denver from the Playoffs. He finished the game with 50 pts.
Westbrook finished the season with the scoring title (31.6 ave.). He also finished 3rd an assists (10.4) and 10th in rebounds (10.7)–the highest numbers for any position other then center and power forward. And Westbrook did what many people thought was impossible: he led his team to the playoffs.
Those are the reasons why Russell Westbrook should be named the NBA MVP.
With Durant gone, Westbrook knew he had to be great on-the-court and off–a leader and role model. That’s exactly what he did. Instead of pouting he used loyalty and sweat to take his game to a new level.
Russell Westbrook, MVP!
