Russell Westbrook focused on Thunder, not Western rivals
As loud as the outfits Russell Westbrook brandishes for nearly all of his games, the five-time All-Star is surprisingly cautious when discussing the prospects of his Oklahoma City Thunder.
He’s always been media savvy, aware that anything he might say could upset the tight bubble of the Thunder franchise, but he’s especially wary when it comes to the topic of his Western Conference rivals.
Closing in on the All-Star break where Westbrook is set to make his fifth appearance but first start, the Golden State Warriors (47-4) are setting the league on fire while the San Antonio Spurs (44-8) aren’t far behind. But at 39-14, sitting quietly in third place, the Thunder are looming just a game removed from a competitive 116-108 loss at Oracle Arena in Oakland. That it was within single digits is a relative victory, considering that in the Warriors’ last 10 games, all wins, they’ve won by an average of 18.5 ppg.
“I just feel like we take it one day at a time, getting better as a team, and when the time is right, when playoff time comes, we’ll be ready,” Westbrook says, diplomatically.
The Thunder, with Westbrook and soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant, have something that no other team in the NBA can boast: two All-Star game starters. Westbrook’s shots per game are down by nearly 3.5 attempts from last season while his assists, at 10.0 per game, are at a career-high. His maturation, coupled with Durant’s stunning offensive game, is why the Thunder were so defiant (“We’re not ducking anybody,” Durant said) after the loss to the Warriors.
“We’ve been with each other for a while now,” Westbrook told Paste BN Sports. “We find ways to be able to challenge each other throughout games to be able to become better players, better leaders for our team.”
Their relationship has developed to a point where despite the mounting pressure, the star duo also finds time to keep the mood light. At a recent media session, Westbrook snuck up behind Durant and playfully mocked his teammate, who was explaining what it was like to photograph this past weekend’s Super Bowl. The clip quickly made the rounds on the internet.
“I don’t do anything for the media. I don’t do anything so anybody can see it,” he said. “My personality is who I am as a person.”
Which is exactly why Mountain Dew chose Westbrook (and Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler) to feature in their upcoming commercial, which debuts Thursday. Mountain Dew was pitched as the marquee brand in last year’s partnership between the NBA and PepsiCo, and they’ll feature prominently at this weekend’s All-Star Game in Toronto.
“The spirit of all the players that we partner with are the same,” said Sadira Furlow, the director of brand marketing for Mountain Dew. “While they may be different in their talents on the court, in terms of their spirit off the court, their creativity, how they bring that to life whether it’s fashion or music or gaming, it’s how they go about, how they get after the game in that individual way, is something that we look for in all the players that we partner with.”
First look: Thunder's Russell Westbrook, Bulls' Jimmy Butler star in Mountain Dew ad
If there was an NFL equivalent to Westbrook, it could very well be Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton. Despite the recent criticism he’s faced, Newton is as daring with his fox tails as Westbrook is with his fashion.
“Cam is creating a lane for himself in the fashion space, just dressing up I would say, and I definitely admire anybody that wants to create their own lane and kind of do their own thing.”
Oklahoma City is hardly a major media market, yet Westbrook, thanks to his loud, carefully paired outfits, is one of the most sought after athletes in the league. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that he plays the game like he’s got several Mountain Dews pumping through him.
“I don’t think that would be smart to drink before games,” he joked.
Follow Michael Singer @realmikesinger on Twitter.