No denying Russell Westbrook inclusion in BR Power 50 – Most influential in sports

OKC Thunder star Russell Westbrook‘s talent on the court, fashion sense off the court and contagious energy  earns him a spot on Bleacher Report’s Power 50.

While OKC Thunder fans aren’t surprised when Russell Westbrook earns accolades, his entry to BR’s Power 50 is a bit of a given. Yet, Westbrook still deals with constant criticism for his on court  play and his leadership ability hardwood. Given this constant scrutiny perhaps the more noteworthy fact of the Power 50 is the two former teammates who make the cut are Westbrook’s loudest cheerleaders.

Power 50 – not your typical list:

As sports fans, we’re ingrained to ranking. We compare teams, players, coaches and even eras of the games. Entire TV networks and websites are dedicated to debating which teams are better than the rest or who goes where on the list of greatest of all time.

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There’s pregame banter over the probable outcome based on advanced analytics, and there’s post-game shows where analysts explain how the game outcome came to be. As OKC Thunder fans and visitors of this site you’re extremely familiar with the process.

And it makes sense. After all, sports is a competition. Sports revolve around one team or player winning and the other losing. Rankings help us better understand who might finish above the rest. Bleacher Report’s Power 50, however, is a different approach entirely.

Without the common rules or boundaries, Bleacher Report compiled a list of the 50 most influential people in sports culture, categorizing them into four types of greatness. It’s a fitting marriage between sports and pop culture to bring some of the most recognizable names within their respective fields to one place. And making the list – among several NBA players – is Russell Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook – a natural to make this BR Power 50 list:

Under the category of “Level Up,” Westbrook was ranked No. 9 for his competitiveness and intensity. Being the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double during the regular season twice turned some heads. Doing it the first time after Kevin Durant left OKC high and dry was impressive enough. But, doing it a second time with Paul George and Carmelo Anthony taking their shots solidified his place among the greatest of all time.

And it wasn’t just simple fact that Westbrook averaged double digits in scoring, rebounds and assists, it was the way he did it. Simply put, Westbrook is a super hero. When anyone else would have given up or fallen over from exhaustion, Westbrook kept going.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the regular season, the playoffs or even the all-star game. Westbrook has one speed and anyone who stands in the way of winning is in for a war.

His fierce style of play has made him the king of OKC and sometimes the easy target of haters, but at the end of the day, Westbrook only cares about one thing – winning.

He’s an inhuman anomaly and has inspired several players in the league, including Enes Kanter and Victor Oladipo who were also among the Power 50. And if Westbrook’s style of play isn’t influential enough, he’s also a fashion icon with his own line of street wear and Jordan shoes.

However you feel about Westbrook’s game, there’s no debating his level of influence. And it’s the empire he’s built which earned him a rightful spot among the 50 most influential people in sports today.

Other notable basketball related BR Power 50 members:

Along with Westbrook, the list also includes NBA superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Love. As per above, the two former OKC Thunder players Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter.

However, the distinctiveness of the list shines in members who cover a wide spectrum of association to hoops. Some of these include:

• Spurs Assistant Coach:  Becky Hammon
• Father, Brand Ambassador and mouthpiece (or creator of sound bites): Lavar Ball
• Social media star and online commentator: Filayyyy
• Rapper, Raptors Ambassador, Lifestyle sneaker representative: Drake
• NBA 2K Host, Adidas Spokesperson: Rachel DeMita
• First highly recruited high schooler to forego college for G-League:  Darius Bazley (notably Latavious Williams also took this route, but it was based on poor grades and slight recruitment)
• WNBA Stars: Sylvia Fowles and A’ja Wilson
• The female version of Russell Westbrook: Sabrina Ionescu
• WNBA Star and Sexual Abuse Survivor: Breanna Stewart
• NBA Owner: Vivek Ranadive
• Parody political campaign of #PopKerr2020: arising from Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich frequent .

Next: Top 10 moments of 2009-2010 Thunder season

Unlike other common ranking systems sports fans are accustomed to seeing, creating and debating, it’s hard to argue with the names on Bleacher Report’s Power 50. Nor is it an article you should miss. Go to read the Russell Westbrook explanation then stay to read the other 49 influencers. You’ll be happy you did.