15 best NBA moments from 2016
By Adam McGee
10. Russ finds his focus
A significant factor in what has made Russell Westbrook‘s 2016 so impressive is that it’s difficult to highlight just one particular moment. In searching for an instance that typified the Westbrook experience, there was one occasion in particular that came to mind, though.
Spurned by his long-time teammate Kevin Durant for the history-making Golden State Warriors, Westbrook entered the 2016-17 season as a new man with new motivations. He wasn’t just a part of the Thunder any more, as with a new contract he became the franchise’s present and their future. What would be the defining feature of the Oklahoma City Westbrooks, though?
Russell Westbrook has arrived. (Of note: One of Kevin Durant's hobbies is photography): pic.twitter.com/Tvus1gnxx4
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 4, 2016
As it turns out, it might just be pettiness.
To mark the first matchup between Durant and the Thunder, which arrived early in the season, Westbrook made an even bigger pre-game fashion statement than ever before. Famed for his pre-game attire, Westbrook arrived for the game wearing a photographer’s bib, a less than thinly-veiled jibe at one-time Super Bowl photographer KD.
If any moment or gesture could possibly explain the series of incredible games that Westbrook has put together in the time since, this is it. Westbrook is not just averaging a triple-double, he’s doing it to make a point. This season, and the latter stages of 2016, is Westbrook’s one-man revenge mission.