Russell Westbrook will not be participating in the NBA playoffs this year, and that makes us sad, because it’s always a bummer when one of the most exciting players in the league has to spend his summer at home. But Westbrook’s absence will be particularly hard to swallow this year, seeing as how he just turned in one of the greatest individual regular seasons any of us will ever see.
Westbrook took home the scoring title and finished the year with a 28-8-7 line, throwing up triple-doubles what felt like every other night while dragging the Durant-less Thunder just short of the playoff finish line. 2014-2015 Westbrook was one of the baddest lone gunmen in NBA history, and his firearm of choice was a tank cannon. With all this in mind, we thought it would be nice to take one last look at Westbrook’s season highlights.
When he went end-to-end in five seconds and dunked all over the Sixers
This just might end up being the quintessential Russell Westbrook highlight. Find another point guard who would do this just a few days after literally breaking his face. I’ll wait.
The time he literally got a dent in his face
Yeah, remember when he literally got a dent in is face and played it off like it was no big deal?
When he hit his head on the damn backboard
Was the All-Star game’s fourth quarter cool? I don’t know because I blacked out after this play.
When some scrub tried to leave him hanging
This is probably my favorite off-court moment from Westbrook this year. The man really refuses to suffer any bullshit, whether said bullshit presents itself in the form of a defender trying to stop him from dunking or a teammate who thinks he can get away with a half-hearted handshake. Russell Westbrook is not here for that.
That game-winner against the Wizards
This probably had more to do with the Wizards playing idiotic defense than anything else, but still, Westbrook basically teleported to the hoop.
That day he got real surly with the media
Okay, so, he can be a dick sometimes.
That time he went for a game-tying layup despite badly rolling his ankle
Most basketball players would have ended up in a heap under the basket after rolling an ankle like that. Westbrook did indeed end up in a heap, but he also got the damn shot up first. He was also fine to play the next game.
That time he dunked so hard that he made the Pistons bench sit up
I feel you, dudes on the Pistons bench. Westbrook makes me do that every time I watch him.
When he wasn’t having it with a punk-ass heckler
We’ll miss you, Russ. Are there any final words you’d like to leave us with?