Westbrook unfazed by Curry picking Harden for MVP: 'Who is he?'
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook refuses to concern himself with who other NBA players are pencilling in as the favorite to take home 2016-17 MVP award, especially if it's not him.
Even if the player making the prediction is reigning back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry, Westbrook will let it slide like dirt off his shoulder.
"I don't care. It don't matter what he say," Westbrook said of Curry hours prior to a game against the Toronto Raptors. "Who is he?"
During a recent appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," the Golden State Warriors guard picked James Harden of the Houston Rockets as MVP, giving him the edge over Westbrook because of Houston's superior record.
The Rockets are holding down the third seed in the Western Conference with a 47-21 record, 8.5 games ahead of the 38-29 Thunder.
No MVP since 1982-83 (with the exception of lockout years) has come from a team that won fewer than 50 games. That could hurt Westbrook's chances, as Oklahoma City would need to go 12-3 over its last 15 games to reach that mark.
Westbrook is averaging a triple-double of 31.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 10.3 assists in 34.9 minutes, and is on his way to becoming just the second player to do so for an entire season (Oscar Robertson, 1961-62).
Harden, on the other hand, is putting up exceptional numbers in his own right of 28.9 points, eight rebounds, and a league-best 11.3 assists.