The Westbrook Cancer

Russell Westbrook: 2016-17 season MVP; triple-double king; athletic freak; ball hog; cancer.

On April 9, 2017, Westbrook became the new king of triple-doubles, breaking Oscar Robertson's 55- year record of 41 triple-doubles in a single season. Obviously, 42 triple-doubles in one season is a very impressive statistic, and is unlikely to ever be broken again.

But, when all is said and done, how much does that triple-double record really mean for Russell Westbrook? In a league where only championship rings matter, the triple-double record will mean next to nothing in the 'greatest players of all time' arguments.

Westbrook's selfish style of play has led his team to 2 consecutive first-round exits from the playoffs. Last year, Westbrook supporters were quick to point out that "He had no help!" which is true because Kevin Durant slithered over to Golden State in free agency. This year, however, the Thunder made a big effort to surround Westbrook with more talent, bringing in all-stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. And guess what? A first round loss to a very inexperienced Jazz team led by rookie Donovan Mitchell was the result.

He didn't take it very well.

Aside from the lack of real results, Westbrook has continually held his teammates back. Figuratively, and sometimes even literally when he needs a few more rebounds to reach his precious triple-double. 

Take a look at Victor Oladipo, for example. Oladipo was traded to Indiana in the Paul George trade, and subsequently improved very significantly in each of the major statistical categories, most notable of which is his improvement from 15 points per game to 23 points per game. He even made the all-star team, something that never would have happened playing on the same team as Westbrook. 

Domantas Sabonis, who also went to Indiana in the Paul George trade, is another great example, more than doubling his points per game, assists per game, and rebounds per game. He even recorded multiple 20+ point games against Lebron James and the Cavs in their first round playoff matchup.

And then there's Kevin Durant. Durant obviously needed to escape OKC and Westbrook. He needed to play in a system where he could play his game without worrying about upsetting  Russell Westbrook. He needed teammates who weren't focused on individual stats, but rather on winning championships. So he chose Golden State. 

Now, I don't  condone what Durant did in joining the Warriors. In fact, I think it was downright repulsive. He's a snake, and he should probably be kicked out of the NBA. But I do understand his decision. He wanted to get away from Westbrook, and the easiest option was Golden State.

Westbrook is, essentially, a cancer. One that needs to be excised before OKC can go into remission. I can only imagine they are kicking themselves for signing him to a 5-year, $205,000,000 contract. But hey, only 4 more years of cancer! Hopefully it doesn't metastasize to the other players on his team.