Russell Westbrook's athleticism is incomparable in the NBA, and the Oklahoma City Thunder star showed why on Sunday evening against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Westbrook came over from the weak side to swat Jonas Valanciunas' shot attempt into the seats, soaring over to deny the big fella with a huge rejection.

Along with Paul George, “Brodie” has helped to completely transform the Thunder into one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

Oklahoma City ranks fourth in terms of defensive rating, while Russell Westbrook is averaging a career-high 2.1 steals per game. His defensive rebounding percentage is also the highest of his career at 26.1 percent.

Westbrook spoke to Erik Horne of Yahoo Sports about defensive effort in December:

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“Regardless of the steals, rebounds … helping out, whatever you need to do. Guarding, switching,” Westbrook said Dec. 19 in Sacramento. “We can guard any position. That's just what we stand on here.”

The 30-year-old All-Star and former MVP ranks sixth in the NBA in deflections and third in loose balls recovered, per NBA.com.

In other words, Westbrook's effort on both sides of the ball has been on full display all year, and he has not just relied on Paul George and Steven Adams to carry the load.

While at times he has struggled with his efficiency, this may be one of Westbrook's finest seasons yet.

Westbrook is still averaging a triple-double and finding ways to score while also allowing George to continue his offensive dominance. And he is doing so while playing tough, hard-nosed defense and getting into the trenches to rebound.