Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook is in his first season as the lone star of a team, and is averaging a triple-double and is currently in the playoff picture in the Western Conference. However, on Thursday when the 2017 All-Star Starters was announced, Westbrook was not named a starter.
“It is what is,” Westbrook said Friday in an interview On Espn.com. “I don't play for All-Star bids. I play to win championships and every night I compete at a high level, and it'll work out.”
Why isn’t Westbrook in? This season, the NBA adopted new All Star voting rules in which fans account for 50 percent, selected media members are 25 percent, and players are 25 percent as well according to Espn’s Brian Windhorst. Only two guards can start, James Harden made it, however Westbrook and Stephen Curry were tied for the second spot. The tiebreaker went to the player who had more fan votes, which Curry had and that’s why he was named as the starter.
For you Westbrook fans, no need to worry because Westbrook will still make the All-Star game in New Orleans as a reserve and have a chance to be All-Star MVP for a third consecutive time.