Relive Russell Westbrook’s MVP season
Russell Westbrook’s play was on another planet last year on his way to winning his first ever MVP.
Not only did he take home the award over worthy competitors James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, he became just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double, and the first since Oscar Robertson back in the 1961-1962 season.
Although experts have pointed to his glaring shooting inefficiencies and historic turnover rates as his fatal flaws, numbers can’t possibly begin to tell the entire story of the guards historic year.
If you take into account that Westbrook was the only player capable of shouldering such a heavy workload on a less than impressive Thunder roster, the narrative begins to change.
When analyzing his season, it’s important to remember that he quite literally rewrote the history books. No, really.
Westbrook set the record for most points in a triple-double dropping 57 on the Magic. Westbrook became the first player to record a triple-double without missing a single shot against the 76ers. Most impressively, Westbrook surpassed Oscar Robertson’s 55-year-old single-season record of 41 triple-doubles with his 42nd and final triple-double coming in a game that saw him drain a three at the buzzer to down the Nuggets.
The Brodie captivated the NBA world with his unbelievable highlights and insane stat-lines, but he won over fans and MVP voters everywhere with his undying passion for the game and his unmatched tenacity on the court.
You can accuse number 0 of being an exceedingly ball dominant player, sure, but you can’t question his fire and the sheer determination that carried his lowly Thunder to an overachieving 47-35 record and the sixth seed in a deep Western Conference.
Will we see another triple-double season quite like this one next year? Absolutely not, especially when you consider OKC added Melo and PG13 in the offseason, and the Houston Rockets acquired CP3 to pair alongside superstar James Harden.
While it’s unlikely we’ll see another single-season rival Westbrook’s any time soon, it is likely that the NBA will watch in awe as the Thunder put pressure on NBA royalty next year and challenge for the title.
