L.A. Clippers forward Blake Griffin had no problem endorsing his hometown star, Russell Westbrook, for the Most Valuable Player award, claiming he can't see how any other player could get it this year after all the records he's broken and the numbers he's put up.
“It almost blows my mind to think that anybody else could win MVP this year,” a confident Griffin told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “That’s not taking anything away from James [Harden] and Kawhi [Leonard] and LeBron [James] because they’ve had excellent seasons too, but Russ’ production is crazy.”
Griffin, who is set to be opt out of his contract this summer and has been rumored to wound up in Oklahoma City various times in the past few years, was thorough in his explanation — pointing out Westbrook checked every mark when it comes to the award.
“And the things that set it apart are their record when he’s had triple-doubles, his PER and his PER in the clutch,” Griffin explained. “As a player, those are all the things you look for – a player who’s going to make his team better, a player that wins games for you and a player who performs when you need him to.”
The 6-foot-10 big man was almost in awe of Westbrook's performance and the consistency of his all-around game, making one of the biggest player endorsements for the Thunder guard.
“I honestly never thought I’d see someone average a triple-double,” the Oklahoma native admitted. “That’s why Russ’ run has been so mind-blowing. It takes an insane amount of energy to do that. You have to be involved in everything and have such a high motor.”
Westbrook has put up a no-doubter of an MVP-caliber season, averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 1.6 steals through 81 games this season. His 42 triple-doubles are the most of all-time, surpassing NBA legend Oscar Robertson, and the first one to average one for the season since the former in 1961-62.
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