Being the sidekick to Kevin Durant works just fine for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who has no plans to leave in order to be the top option elsewhere.
If the All-Star Game couldn’t convince you that Russell Westbrook belongs in the conversation of the ten best players in the NBA, nothing will.
More from NBA
- Predicting NBA’s Christmas Day Schedule: Lakers, Warriors highlight slate of postseason rematches
- 3 reasons the Blazers should trade Damian Lillard to the Heat and 2 reasons they shouldn’t
- LeBron James, Giannis, Damian Lillard all want that Mbappé money
- Jaylen Brown signs richest contract in NBA history without a left hand
- NBA rumors: Pistons determined to trade Killian Hayes
Westbrook, who won the Most Valuable Player award after scoring 41 points last Sunday, would be the first option for almost any team which lacks a player named LeBron James on their roster, yet Westbrook is perfectly fine being option 1A behind reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant, something he was willing to expressed during Wednesday’s Dan Patrick Show when the subject of leaving OKC for “greener pastures” came up:
“Not at all. I love winning. Kevin is one of the best players in the world, man, and I love the position I’m in now,” Westbrook said.
Westbrook’s position is good. He enters the post All-Star break as the Association’s third-leading scorer (25.8 points per game) while averaging 7.6 assists and 6.3 rebounds per night. Had he not missed a month with an injury, Westbrook would be in the conversation with Houston’s James Harden, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and that man in Cleveland when it comes to MVP talk.
The duo has worked, mainly due to the respect Durant and Westbrook have for each other. The pair know when to defer to the other in critical situations. Lately, it has been Westbrook holding the hot hand, as he has scored at least 40 points three times in OKC’s last seven games along with adding a triple-double and narrowly missing a second in the same span.
There is no Kobe-Shaq beef between the two, a factor both the Thunder and their fans hope Durant remembers when he comes an unrestricted free agent following the 2015-16 season. Durant will have an overwhelming rush of offers (Knicks, Lakers, Wizards among the top suitors), yet the team’s success and the undisputed love OKC has for him will also play into whether he chooses to stay at home instead of being blinded by the bright lights and potential of being the savior of moribund franchises in New York and Los Angeles.
For now, the focus for Westbrook and Durant will be getting the 28-25 Thunder back into the postseason after a 3-12 start that resulted from both being out of the lineup with injuries. OKC is just a half-game behind Phoenix for the eighth and final playoff spot, as they begin the second half of the season against Dallas on Thursday.
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle