Russell Westbrook

Acknowledging fatigue even before the seventh game of their 12-day road trip reached tipoff, the Miami Heat, on February 18, 2009, came face-to-face with the last problem a weary defense hopes to contend with: Russell Westbrook, charged up, with a runway to the rim. Pairing something close to the peak of his athletic powers with an eagerness to immediately prove it, the future Hall of Famer works judiciously during a second quarter comeback attempt, freeing himself for an outlet following Miami’s miss. With his turbo flipped to its highest level, Westbrook powers through the lane untouched, ultimately ticketing Mario Chalmers with a floor seat to the show before climbing the ladder with an electrifying tomahawk. Victory didn’t arrive, but in a competitive matchup, Westbrook introduced the NBA world to a coast-to-coast staple that would define Oklahoma City Thunder basketball over the ensuing decade. One of many shrewd decisions by Oklahoma City’s perceptive front office, the 2008 No. 4 selection provided 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, planting seeds for both a fourth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year race, and soon thereafter, a one-of-a-kind legacy in Boom Town.

Rookie Year