Basketball, by its very design, favors ‘big men’ as evidenced in the last five years’s all-league MVPs who are all 7ft centers. This isn’t to suggest shorter players haven’t dominated. Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving have both been exceptional. They use their size to an advantage, either breaking the opposing defense’s ankles or punishing them with a three-pointer that touches nothing but the net. Their play style is congruent with their size. But Russell Westbrook, also a 6’3 guard, stands as a glitch in that matrix.

Russ differs from both of them because his mentality allows him to take on players much bigger than him. His strength and agility coupled with his fearlessness are the reason he is revered among his peers in the league. Recently, fellow Los Angeles Clippers Paul George talks about witnessing this ‘mentality’ up close in the latest episode of ‘Podcast P with Paul George’.

PG highlights Westbrook’s competitive spirit

Westbrook’s mention came up when a fan asked PG about the Clipper’s recent victory over the Brooklyn Nets where they went 22-0 in the fourth quarter to snatch the game away from the Nets. During the game, Russ went to guard Brooklyn’s 6’11 center, Nick Claxton. The crux of the question was: what goes behind a decision like that when an undersized 6’3 guard could go and effortlessly match up to a player of that size? Paul George explained, “We all know Russ gonna play bigger than what 6’3 is. He gonna compete in every possession. I think initially, we were just matching up, like, you got here you got there, it just so happened Russ was on the center.”

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He further adds, “But it wasn’t designed: Russ you guard the center. Russ just being a competitor like, “I got the tallest motherf*cker on the floor.” Fans of Westbrook are well aware that mentality is the reason for his MVP year, and how it was his competitive nature that motivated him to drag a Durant-less OKC to the post-season.

The best display of the ‘Rusell Westbrook’ mentality

Back in 2016, the NBA was a lot different. Kevin Durant had just become a villain of the league after joining hands with the Golden State Warriors, despite losing to them just a season prior. This left Russell Westbrook stranded alone in OKC and he did not take the betrayal lightly. That regular season, Russ played with revenge on his mind, averaging  31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, carrying the Thunder to the sixth seed in the playoffs. Surpassing Oscar Robertson’s record for the most career triple-doubles, a record which was deemed ‘unbreakable’. He received the MVP honor for the year, but it was not enough.

“Getting Revenge”: Lakers Fans Were Awestruck After Russell Westbrook Pulled Off Unthinkable Sequence

Despite this monstrous run, he dipped in the playoffs, not being able to sustain his performances. However, this serves as an extraordinary reminder of Russell Westbrook’s grit and gives a glimpse into the mind of greatness. This year, with the re-union with James Harden, Westbrook seems on a mission again.

Will he be able to win his first chip? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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