Russell Westbrook had the perfect answer for Mark Cuban’s confusing pregame comments, and he didn’t need to say a word.
But his response was heard — it was heard loud and clear.
The Thunder are off to the second round thanks to their 118-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Monday’s Game 5.
Cuban told reporters before the game that Westbrook was just an All-Star but not a superstar. Given that the comments came just over an hour before tip, Westbrook didn’t have an opportunity to publicly respond to the Mavericks owner. He didn’t need to.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook throws down a VICIOUS DUNK! @russwest44 pic.twitter.com/Y9DrO4jUCl
— The Basketball Dunk (@TBBD01) April 26, 2016
Westbrook dominated the Mavericks to the tune of 36 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. Kevin Durant added 32 points of his own.
To even suggest that Westbrook isn’t a superstar-caliber player is farfetched. He’s averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds this season. He’s done all that while sharing the limelight, shots and ball with Durant. He’s also shown that he can make an impact in Durant’s absence. He averaged a career-high 28.1 points per game last year when Durant missed 55 games.
Westbrook is one of the top 10 players in the NBA, and he embraces the role of a superstar. If Cuban was extending beyond Westbrook’s on-court impact, well, take one look at any of Westbrook’s outfits — he looks the part of a “star.”
But at the end of the day, Westbrook doesn’t need Cuban’s approval. His team is still playing, but what a way to respond to criticism. Westbrook looked like the real winner of Monday night — if he’s not a superstar, I don’t know who is.
