Russell Westbrook is having a successful run and is almost on the verge of being named the most valuable player in NBA, but he is not starting the All-Star Game. The news has come as a shock to millions in the NBA circle.
Houston Racket’s James Harden and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry beat Westbrook to start the guard spots on the Western Conference squad. They will take to the court on 19th February in New Orleans.
If anyone has to be blamed for Russell Westbrook not starting the All-Star Game, then it would be his fans. The players get picked by votes from the players, fans and the media. While Westbrook managed to finish first in the vote from the players and the media, he was placed third after the fan votes and lost in the tie-breaker to Curry and Harden.
Numerous fans and players were shocked with the results of the vote. The refused to believe that Westbrook couldn’t clinch a starting spot in spite of having such a great season. According to NY Times, Chandler Parsons from Memphis Grizzlies said that it was unimaginable to realize that in spite of having average a triple double, Westbrook couldn’t start in the All-Star Game.
Russell Westbrook might not have the best record in winning games, but then he isn’t shy enough to stay away from a big moment. Westbrook has always been there for Oklahoma City Thunders, and he always seems to push through the tense moments and clinch them.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Westbrook did the same thing during Monday’s game against Utah Jazz. With only 12 seconds remaining, Westbrook hit two free throws after an offensive from Steven Adams. This move automatically moved the Thunders to a 95-92 lead.
When Gordon Hayward came to score a 3-pointer, Westbrook gave Adam time to score the win. The Oklahoma City Thunders finally won the game 97-95. Russell Westbrook’s shooting and turnovers might not have been great, but the number of scores he earned, helped a lot in the low-scoring match.
CBS Sports reported that fans are angry about Russell Westbrook not starting the All-Star Games. The fault clearly lies with the fans since the players and the media voted for him to win, but the fan votes stopped him.
The fans went ahead and voted for Steph Curry who is the reigning MVP star. Several players have been angry with the kind of support being extended to Curry. The same goes for Westbrook and LeBron James. This was one reason that several players voted Curry lower.
Westbrook is one of the favorites for the MVP award this year along with James Harden and the manner in which he is playing. It looks like he might already be the winner. Steph Curry is a great player, and there is no denying there, but then Westbrook was the one to shine this season.
Curry set the NBA record for three-pointers and even led the Warriors’ in the 73-win campaign, but it was Westbrook’s time to shine this time around, and everyone knew that. In spite of that, Curry took away the slot from Westbrook and will start the All-Star Game.
Steph Curry spoke up about the situation and said that since there were only two spots, someone had to be left out. He stated that he had faced the same situation four years before. Curry added that he is grateful to represent his team and start the All-Star Game.