All the Way Up
Russell Westbrook has arrived at the final level of superstardom.
Russell Westbrook is angry.
This is nothing new. It’s nothing to be scared of—unless you’re Stephen Curry, and maybe LeBron James. An angry Russell Westbrook is a beautiful thing. It’s exactly what basketball needs. A star who approaches his job with a menacing intensity anyone who cares about what they do for a living can admire and appreciate. I would bet he’s making foes like the Chef or the King a little nervous right now.
This year’s NBA Playoffs have become more of a proving ground for Westbrook than any other. Fans are mesmerized by Curry’s delightful stroke and LeBron’s Herculean stats, and rightfully so. And while watching the Oklahoma City Thunder, casual viewers may gravitate first toward the versatile on-court prowess of Westbrook’s teammate and fellow All-Star, Kevin Durant.
Don’t get it twisted: Westbrook has already received plenty of praise during his eight-year career. But he hasn’t yet been awarded the celebrity status of the triumvirate mentioned above—yet. And those days are about to end.
Westbrook’s style is simple to explain. After two years on the Southern California campus of UCLA, he exploded into the NBA as a rookie, securing his first triple-double in March of 2009 and earning All-Rookie First Team honors a few months later. He hasn’t slowed down since. Few NBA moments captivate viewers like Russ leading a fast break. He is the Hyperloop of the NBA. Rims haven’t been the same since 2008.
Westbrook has a remorseless approach that leaves point guards staggering in his wake. It is why he averaged around 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds this season. He tied Magic Johnson for the single-season record for triple-doubles in a regular season with 18. His last one was recorded in just over 17 minutes, which was the second-fastest effort in NBA history.
As Kobe Bryant’s career was fading to black, he was asked about the one player who matched his intensity for the game. He identified one man: Westbrook. Few athletes ever wanted to win as badly as Kobe. Both players are willing to destroy to achieve victory. They’d seemingly prefer it.
Mamba out; Russ in.
Westbrook exhibits the panache of Kobe, Steph and LeBron. He is one of Jordan Brand’s top basketball endorsers next to Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. Unlike those guys, though, his signature shoes are casual kicks, designed to celebrate the fact that Westbrook’s off-court style is integral to his personality.
Like it or not, Westbrook is becoming a fashion icon; his style is bold, outlandish and (mostly) tasteful. He’s a staple at any fashion week, often seen seated alongside the runway and dissecting each ensemble. He has been asked by Jordan Brand and Barney’s for design suggestions. The OKC Thunder’s arena entrances are required viewing for Russ’ unpredictable outfit choices.
He’s even provided some wardrobe gems that have made us double-check our closets, like this post-game favorite:
Russ has also done commercials with Mountain Dew, Subway and True Religion. He can do more than just sell sneakers and subs, though. He can inspire a movement.
Look no further than the Thunder bench before tip-off. Westbrook and teammate Cameron Payne have lit up Vine with their lively pregame dances, solidifying the fact that, despite the mean mugs and violent screams that occasionally follow Russ’ emphatic dunks, sports are ultimately about having fun. Here’s a clip of the duo’s greatest hits:
When added up, all of this together means one thing: Westbrook now belongs on the same level as Steph and LeBron. He is unquestionably a top-5 NBA player. He’s clearly a top-5 dancer. And he might be a top-1 dresser. His personality may not be as outwardly warm as some of his peers, but his anger is fun—that ferocity needs to be seen as joy. This is how Russell Westbrook has fun, and we should appreciate him for just that. Does it weaken his marketability? It shouldn’t. He wants to share his intense mentality with all of us.
We saw this coming on the court. Westbrook is a five-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, and last year’s NBA scoring champion. Lately, the NBA’s mid-season classic has become more of an exhibition and less of a competition. Not to the Brodie. He became the first player in league history to win consecutive All-Star Game MVPs in 2015 and 2016. In ‘15, he scored 27 points in 11 minutes, smashing the ASG record for points in a half. He finished 1 point shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star Game record for points with 41. This past February, Westbrook supplied the West with his typical line: 31, 8 and 5, with 5 steals. This was amassed in 22 minutes. Granted, the play of his peers may have been relaxed. But Westbrook was turned all the way up.
Now we’re watching him guide the Thunder closer to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2012. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Russ had 19 third-quarter points to spark a Thunder upset over the record-breaking Warriors. He finished with 27 points, 12 assists, 6 boards and 7 steals. Then after an off night in Game 2, he rebounded in Game 3, going for 30 points, 12 assists and 8 boards on 10–19 from the field in a blowout victory for OKC.
Westbrook has been a real star for a minute, but he’s reaching a level of superduperstardom that, among active players, only Steph, LeBron and KD reside on, and we’re watching him make this leap in real-time. We get to examine his latest fashion forays as they appear on our TV screens, and then we post and re-post photos of his sartorial statements on our Twitter and Instagram feeds minutes later. We see his pregame boogying seconds before tip-off, and then we stream the Vines of his fresh moves over and over again.
As you take in the remainder of the 2016 NBA playoffs, make sure your vision is dialed in enough to keep track of No. 0. A 6-3, 200-pound chiseled mass of an on-court meteor is firing himself into a new dimension, right in front of our eyes.
