While we won’t know for sure until later this year, it’s pretty safe to assume that Russell Westbrook won’t win back-to-back MVP awards. Westbrook has been tremendous for the Thunder this year and could still average a triple-double over the course of the entire season if he’s able grab 41 rebounds in the team’s final three games, but it hasn’t been enough to defend his MVP.
This begs the question: Who does Westbrook think is going to be the guy to succeed him? Will he pick James Harden, his former teammate who has been sensational for the Houston Rockets this year? Could he go with LeBron James, who in typical LeBron fashion has been spectacular? Or will he go with a curveball and pick someone like Anthony Davis?
The answer is, uh, none of them. As Westbrook explained to Royce Young of ESPN, he isn’t going to pick anyone this year, and he has a pretty sound reason for not making a selection.
Russell Westbrook was very complimentary of James Harden’s season, but said he’s not making an MVP pick: pic.twitter.com/bsLTXN4yWG
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 7, 2018
“I don’t have a pick,” Westbrook said. “There’s a lot of guys doing a lot of great things in the league. Honestly, I don’t know kind of what you go off of, because MVP’s kind of been picked differently every year. So it depends what criteria, what it is that you guys vote for.”
Westbrook did give Harden some praise, though, saying that he’s had a “great year” for the team with the best record in the league. Still, between a remarkably close playoff race and the fact that he’s supporting teachers in Oklahoma who are currently on strike, it appears that Westbrook has other things to worry about than the MVP award.
