The MVP race is far from over, although Russell Westbrook solidified his case as the leading candidate on Wednesday night with a historic performance against the Magic when he became the first player in league history to score 57 points in a triple double. Many still, however, have him in a dead heat with James Harden, whose season-long brilliance has been arguably just as impressive.
It’s so close that some folks have floated the controversial idea of having co-MVPs, while others see that tract as little more than cop-out. So when Damian Lillard tried to dodge the question a couple different times during an interview with ESPN, His & Hers co-hosts Michael Smith and Jemele Hill essentially strong-armed him into making a choice.
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At first Lillard rattles off all the usual suspects – LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Harden, Westbrook – before settling on the prospect of Harden and Russell sharing the honors. The hosts, however, weren’t having any of that, so Lillard finally relented.
“If I had to say just one guy, I’m gonna have to go with Russ,” Lillard said. “That dude…he’s leaving it all out there every time. I think he deserves it.”
They went on to give him props for not choosing himself, to which Lillard offered the rather pragmatic response that the award is clearly contingent on a certain level of team success. Let’s just hope that the voters succumb to a similar pressure to choose a single winner.
(ESPN)
