TORONTO — In any other All-Star Game, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook would have been the story. No one — not Michael, not Magic, not Wilt, not even Kobe — ever won back-to-back All-Star MVP Awards outright until Westbrook did it Sunday. And it was special.
“Definitely,” said Westbrook, who scored 31 points in the West’s 196-173 victory over the East. “Any time you can be able to be in the history books, it always means something to me, man. I’m just thankful to be able to play the game of basketball and be in a game like this is something that like I said before, I never take for granted.”
Not after several surgeries that do not seem to have limited his explosiveness.
“I don’t believe he had surgery, personally,” the East’s LeBron James said, laughing. “It was just like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to take a little bit of time off.’ No, but it’s been incredible, man. To have three knee surgeries and he hasn’t really lost. He’s actually gained a step or two or three.”
Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks won the MVP in 1958 and shared it with Elgin Baylor in 1959 and is the only other back-to-back winner of the award.
Westbrook, who made seven 3s, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out five assists, admitted he was inspired by Bryant.
“Definitely, being able to talk to him and get knowledge and just hear him talking about different things he’s done for himself, for the game, his family,” Westbrook said. “It’s a great moment to be able to sit back and just chat with a guy like that. You embrace all those moments.”
Along with a couple of All-Star MVP trophies.