2. Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is divisive. Some say he was last yearās MVP. Others say he missed two dunks at the end of the game against the 76ers on Dec. 15, and if he had just calmed down and laid the ball in like James Naismith intended then maybe they could have avoided going into triple overtime.
It turns out both can be correct. When we all evacuate to Oklahoma to live underground and feed off corn roots and football, make sure you stop by Westbrookās bunker to thank him for encouraging the enduring spirit of compromise.
However, those missed dunks are special in their own special way. I would like to share these ways with you. Take them, and keep them in your heart.
Not only does Westbrook dunk with the type of anger typically only reserved for bad beats and interloping basement mice, but he does so with context. Heās a little clip from the gameās box score.
Immediately before that first miss, Ben Simmons dunked to start an 11-0 run that tied the game in regulation forcing overtime.
Immediately before that second miss, Ben Ben Simmons dunked to end an 11-0 run that tied the game in regulation forcing overtime.
He actually went 10-for-33 in that game, not to mention 5-of-12 from the line. But hey. They won, and he got a triple-double. Thatās all fine then.