Russell Westbrook, point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is one of the most talented players in the NBA. He started out with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. This year he is averaging 31.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He is the first player in the league to average a triple double since Oscar Robertson. Triple-doubles rarely come around in the NBA considering the hard intense battles. So, let that sink in for a second and realize how rare it is for a point guard to average a triple-double in the whole entire regular season.
In Westbrook’s very last game, he scored 50 points along with 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He attempted 32 field goals and made 17 shots. He also made 5 out of 12 attempts from the 3 point line. This was an all-star performance, but that is not all that he did. With just seconds remaining, Westbrook hit a deep three close to half court at the buzzer for the win against the Nuggets 106-105. It was Westbrook’s third 50-plus-point triple-double, all of them this season and more than any player in NBA history has in his career. Westbrook has scored at least 40 points in eight triple-doubles this season. This showed true character and what a passion for basketball he has. This incredible performance also led to Westbrook to break the record for most triple-doubles in the regular season. 42 is more than half of the games they play in a season. The record was held by Oscar Robertson. He also passed Wilt Chamberlain in 4th place for the most triple-doubles.
After Westbrook broke this record, he could have easily sat down for the remainder of the game. Instead, he closed out with 15 more points to get the win for Thunder in clutch time. After the game he said, “[I am] very, very blessed. I’ve got to give all the thanks from the man above. [God has] blessed me with unbelievable talent to go out and compete at a high level. I’m just thankful for my teammates, for my coaching staff, for the organization, for all the fans, for my family for believing in me and allowing me to do what I’m doing.”
“I’ve been feeling it for a while,” Westbrook said of the appreciation from fans in road arenas. “Everywhere I’ve been, the crowd’s been kind of like that, which is truly amazing, something I could never dream about growing up in inner-city Los Angeles. Now being on the biggest stage possible is something I could never dream about.”
“It was pure adrenaline, emotions running high, game-winning shot,” said Westbrook, who will send the game ball and his uniform to his parents. “It’s something you dream about as a little kid to be able to do that on the road, especially from that distance. It’s something that you’ll definitely never forget.”
Russell Westbrook for MVP? This question will soon be answered.