Westbrook on whether he craves his own team: 'Not at all, I love winning'

Much has been made over the years about whether Russell Westbrook is happy playing in Kevin Durant's shadow. The All-Star Game MVP dismissed the notion Tuesday on "The Dan Patrick Show."

"Not at all. I love winning," Westbrook said when asked if he's thought of having his own team like former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate James Harden now has in Houston.

"Kevin's one of the best players in the world and I love my position I'm in now. I think over the past, maybe, four or five years, only two teams won more games than us - San Antonio and probably Miami. I don't think it gets too much better than that," he said. "You can be on your own and win a few games and then go home in the summer, but I'd rather win games and have a chance to win a championship every year."

Westbrook, who is slated for free agency in 2017, has made the playoffs in every season besides his rookie year, with the Thunder advancing to at least the second round in each of the last four seasons, including a Finals trip and three Western Conference finals appearances.

Not to mention, it's not exactly like Westbrook is playing second fiddle to Durant.

Westbrook has been given enough of an opportunity - and has seized enough of that opportunity - to establish his own star in the league. This season, the 26-year-old is averaging a ludicrous 25.8 points, 7.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists to go with a PER of 28.5.

In addition, the MVP candidate leads the league with a usage rate of 37.6 percent. 

When you can play alongside a generational talent like Durant, while competing for championships and still putting up individual numbers like that, who in the world wouldn't be happy?