Russell Westbrook’s MVP Speech Caps Pleasantly Surprising Awards Show

Those who have followed the NBA knew that Russell Westbrook would most likely win MVP on Monday night. But that didn’t mean things were any less special.

Like many fans and members of the NBA community, I had relatively low expectations for the first annual NBA Awards Show. It still seems ridiculous that fans needed to wait 75 days after the regular season ended, and two weeks after the finals ended to find out who the MVP was.

But while so much time had passed, the awards show made it worth the wait.

There were more than a few iconic moments that will be remembered for years to come. Bill Russell, the recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award, telling five legends he’d “kick their ass” was absolutely hysterical. The league’s tribute to Monty Williams as the first recipient of the Sager Strong Award was beyond powerful as well.

The Grand Finale:

This set the stage for the grand finale, the highly anticipated announcement of the MVP award. And while Russell Westbrook taking home the trophy wasn’t surprising, what ultimately followed was.

A gracious Westbrook humbly accepted the award before giving it back to Commissioner Silver and pulling out a note from his pocket listing the people he wanted to thank. One of the bigger concerns viewers had about the show was that speeches would need to be cut off for commercials.  Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. For eight minutes and 25 seconds, Westbrook spoke from the heart, unveiling a side of himself rarely, if ever seen by the casual fan.

Wearing a surprisingly normal outfit, Westbrook thanked everyone in the Thunder organization, from owner Clay Bennett, General Manager Sam Presti, Head Coach Billy Donovan, all the way to the team doctors, trainers, film managers, and chefs. He even at one point thanked the media, which got a chuckle from the crowd.

DeJa Vu Moment:

Then, in a very similar manner to a former Oklahoma City Thunder MVP, Westbrook invited five of his teammates to share the stage with him as a tribute to their contributions for the award. While he didn’t complement each one individually, it was a strong symbol of the graciousness Westbrook shows both on and off the court.

But the best moment came at the end when Westbrook thanked his family. On the verge of tears, Westbrook talked about the various sacrifices his parents made over the years to make sure he and his brother, Ray, had everything they needed. Speaking of Ray, Westbrook called his younger brother his role model, highlighting how he texts Russ during halftime of every game to give him moral support.

Finally, he thanked his wife, Nina, who he’s known since both were on their respective basketball teams at UCLA. He highlighted how difficult it is to be the wife of an NBA player and how he is grateful for all the sacrifices she has had to make, especially with their newborn baby.

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Humble and Genuine Westbrook stole the show:

Overall, it was an incredibly genuine speech. He was authentic, he didn’t rush anything, and there was no pressure from the network to cut him off, even though the show was already running more than 10 minutes late. Even though we haven’t seen Westbrook play for more than two months, the show did a great job of reminding us of how incredible his regular season was.

The awards show was by no means perfect. Drake was just okay as a host and the Nicki Minaj/2 Chainz performance was unnecessary. But in its inagural season, the NBA found something it can build upon going forward. I really wish that the show could be held during the few days before the regular season ends and the playoffs begin. That would eliminate those who are tuned out and already focused on the offseason and free-agency.

Westbrook’s historic night should give the Thunder some positive momentum heading into the offseason, where the team will truly be able to focus on building a team around their newly crowned MVP.