NBA Update

Russell Westbrook stepped up all season long for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and even before the season.

When Kevin Durant departed as a free agent for the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook signed a contract extension. When the Thunder looked to him to effectively be two players, he responded.

He led the NBA in scoring, averaging 31.6 points per game. He was third in assists (10.4) and 10th in rebounding (10.7). So the point guard who broke the record for triple-doubles in a season actually averaged a triple-double and is only the second player to ever do so.

Westbrook received the NBA’s MVP award on Monday night, accepting the honor humbly and emotionally. Forget the feud with Durant and anything else that might come from a player so driven and competitive in the heat of his pursuits. Westbrook helped his team and his image throughout the season and with his acceptance of the MVP award.

Westbrook is signed through the 2017-18 season but the Thunder will certainly offer him another extension on July 1, when signings can begin. He will be the focal point of the Thunder for years to come in the NBA’s rugged Western Conference, where the Warriors, the league’s defending champions, remain the team to beat.

You could argue James Harden of the Houston Rockets for MVP or even Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs for MVP, but the debate is over. And the guy who should have won actually did.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman