Top 30 athletes under 30
By Robert Judin
15. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder – 26 years old
He has single handedly changed the point guard position in the NBA. Only a few other guys in the history of the game can say they’ve done the same. Since he left UCLA, Russell Westbrook has powered through the shadow of his teammate Kevin Durant and become a deadly weapon for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder may wish they still had James Harden, but there’s no way the team would rather have traded Westbrook. At 6-foot-3, Westbrook has the length to guard some of the NBA’s bigger point guards. He has the speed and agility to guard the quicker guards. And his athleticism and ferocity is unmatched.
Westbrook is the new prototype for point guards everywhere.
He averaged 15 points and five assists with three turnovers as a rookie, but he has transformed into an MVP candidate. He’s seen his stats steadily climb until last season when he exploded for 28 points per game with about nine assists per game. His turnovers jumped to around four per game, but you have to take the good with the bad.
He and Durant have a solid connection on and off the court, which is more important than some people will acknowledge.
Westbrook is a legitimate triple-double threat every night and one of the more exciting players to watch in the NBA. He’s the type of player who can go for 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on a Monday, but on Tuesday he’s going for 50 points. It’s insane how he can flip a switch and change it around.
He’s the most explosive player in the NBA right now.
Next: No.14 Le'Veon Bell