The 2016-17 season has truly been Russell Westbrook’s masterpiece. He is still only 28 and this is only his first season as the alpha dog for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has plenty more success in front of him, one would assume, but he will never recapture the magic or the wonder and bewilderment of the basketball community like he has this season.
Westbrook made NBA history Sunday in the Thunder’s 106-105 victory over the Nuggets, completing his 42nd triple-double of the season and breaking a 57 year old record by all-time great Oscar Robertson that many people thought would never be broken.
Of course he did it in the most epic, Russell Westbrook fashion, with 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and a ridiculous 35 foot contested three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Thunder a 106-105 win.
Russell Westbrook last night:
50 points
Record 42nd triple-double
Game winning shot from distanceThe real MVP ?pic.twitter.com/FmaQQcFjan
— Sport Vines (@SportVlnes) April 10, 2017
Westbrook has redefined what is possible to achieve from a numbers perspective on the NBA level in this era and has put together one of the best seasons in NBA or professional sports history in general. He will average a triple-double for a season as well as currently averaging 31.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.
He also has an unfathomable PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 52.2 in clutch situations this season, which is unheard of.
Here are some tweets and reaction to Russ’s masterpiece…
Brodie has ordered up a record 42 triple-doubles this season pic.twitter.com/2HfMGDJ9Uq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2017
Congrats to the Brodie @russwest44 on setting the record!!! #WhyNot #42 #StriveForGreatness?
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 9, 2017
Thanks Russ … you the real MVP ??
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) April 9, 2017
History. pic.twitter.com/TG5itDyxDY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 9, 2017
Pretty incredible what we’re seeing this season from the league’s elite, no one can top Westbrook though, he is your 2016-17 MVP.
