It’s no secret that Steph Curry will be this season’s MVP. It hasn’t been a race since his Warriors stormed to a 24-0 start – the best in NBA history. He may very well be the NBA’s first unanimous MVP. But amongst the chasing pack lies a player that is having his own record-breaking season: Russell Westbrook. The tenacious point guard has been racking up triple doubles for the Thunder. The two players, born only eight months apart are hitting their peak simultaneously, yet they play with a contrasting demeanour.
In each of their last games Curry and Westbrook have made plays that sum up their respective personas. For Curry this came in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers. In the second quarter he found himself guarded by the gigantic DeAndre Jordan. He used a behind the back move into a through the legs move before stepping back. Jordan defended him remarkably well. But when Curry stepped behind the three point line there was only one outcome. Nothing but net.
It’s a move that we’ve seen often from Curry, particularly in the last two seasons, but that doesn’t make it any less breathtaking. The smooth handles honed so diligently that fans flock to games early just to see him practice. And who can ignore that three point shooting? He broke his own regular season record for made threes after just 55 games. At his current pace, he might even top 400 threes on the season. Curry’s ability to hit from deep is unprecedented and the NBA will never be the same again.
Despite Curry’s three point revolution, Russell Westbrook remains a throwback to the hard-nosed bygone era. Against the Jazz on Thursday he made a play that epitomises his effort and toughness. He had driven to the basket and missed his layup when Shelvin Mack came away with the rebound. Westbrook refused to give up and made a perfectly timed steal from behind. He then went back to the rim to finish a layup and draw a foul on the towering Derrick Favors.
Westbrook’s persistence has made him into a star on both ends of the floor. It’s that persistence that has helped him record 15 triple doubles this season. In the last 30 years, the NBA record is Magic Johnson’s 17 in ’88/89. With ten games to go, it’s possible that Westbrook will exceed this record. His penchant for triple-doubles has come through extra effort on the glass. His mindset is to simply go after the board. Westbrook’s 7.7 rebounds per game this season rank above LeBron James and Chris Bosh. All from the backcourt. While Curry is making unique strides, Westbrook has proven that good, old-fashioned hard work can yield monumental numbers in this league.
That’s not to say Curry doesn’t work extremely hard, or that Westbrook isn’t blessed with special talent, but they represent a divergence in the nature of stardom in the modern NBA. Westbrook follows the traditional pattern, forged by Michael Jordan and continued by LeBron James – that NBA stars are superhuman. He can leap high, run fast and bulldoze through the lane against much larger defenders. Seeing him fly to the hoop and throw down is astounding. He dunks with such herculean force to discourage defenders from ever getting in his way. It works.
Yet Curry has created an alternative. He has never been an elite athlete, like Westbrook or James. While those stars have embodied an unattainable greatness, Curry is a luminary that kids can realistically aspire to. His game is built around those dexterous handles, and a robotic shooting technique. You don’t need to leap 36 inches to develop those skills.
Westbrook has shown that phenomenal athletes who work hard will always succeed in the NBA, but Curry has given the next generation something else to aim for. His miraculous three-point shooting has cast a long shadow this season, but Westbrook’s dogged determination means that he should be emerging from that shadow sooner rather than later. Either way, both styles have been glorious to watch.
