Russell Westbrook's Historic All-Star Night Shows Climb Up NBA Superstar Ladder

Regular season, playoffs, backyard pickup or 2015 NBA All-Star Game, Russell Westbrook's basketball intensity dial is always, always cranked three notches past the max.

So it shouldn't have been a surprise that the Oklahoma City Thunder's powered-on point guard electrified Madison Square Garden in a 163-158 Western Conference win Sunday.

His 41 points fell just one short of tying Wilt Chamberlain's record for an All-Star Game and earned him the game's MVP award:

It also served as yet another reminder that Westbrook has the raw physical skill and unrelenting drive to stand out even when surrounded by the brightest stars in the NBA sky.

The shots came in quick succession when Westbrook came off the Western Conference bench, and most of them fell. When a couple of quick-release triples went down, it was all the confirmation Westbrook needed to keep chucking.

Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman captured Westbrook testing just how hot he was in the second quarter:

It wasn't all about damage from deep, though. He also converted an impossibly long alley-oop pass from Chris Paul and later provided one of the signature images of the contest on a high-flying slam:

Westbrook is practically impossible to wrangle when five defenders are focused on tying him up. What did we think was going to happen in an All-Star setting where nobody in the gym was interested in defense? The guy whose motor never stops revving was bound to rocket past his idling competition.

Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins let it be known he felt Russ needed a little more playing time:

It's hard to make a strategic misstep in an All-Star Game, but if West coach Steve Kerr managed to tick off Westbrook by limiting his numbers, a potential one-versus-eight playoff matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Thunder might have a little added juice.

At halftime, Russ had tied an All-Star record with 27 points in just 11 minutes, according to NBA.com:

It took over seven minutes of game time for Westbrook to get into the action after the break, which we can only assume further angered Perkins.

Not to worry, though: When Westbrook finally checked in, he made his presence felt quickly, flushing home a lob from Chris Paul with one hand and acquainting his cranium with the backboard in the process.

The play highlighted two things we already knew about Westbrook: his athleticism and his sour on-court demeanor, per CBSSports.com:

The barrage slowed a bit from that point as Chris Paul (15 assists) saw minutes down the stretch and James Harden continued his staggering efficiency (29 points on 16 shots along with eight assists and eight rebounds). Westbrook didn't scale back his shot-hunting, of course, finishing with a game-high 28 field-goal attempts in only 26 minutes.

This is what Westbrook is: a force of nature when he's on (which is most of the time) and a somewhat overzealous chucker when he's not. On balance, there's just no way to deny his positive impact, though.

What he's not—great as he's become—is better than teammate Kevin Durant. His seeming failure to appreciate that has earned him criticism in the past, with many rightly arguing that his hyperaggressive style necessarily took chances away from KD.

A telling moment indicated such concerns may be melting away. Westbrook had the opportunity to fire off another 28-footer from the right wing with under two minutes to go in the third quarter, but he passed it up to hit a trailing teammate for a wide-open three.

That teammate was Durant. It was his only bucket of the game.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

It was one play in one game that historically has offered precisely zero insight into what the rest of the season holds. But maybe we can take something smaller away, a tiny hint of individual development from a guy who, for all of his undeniable game, still needs some.

Not that Westbrook should ever change who he is. His season to date proves he's ridiculously valuable. And if there's even the slightest chance that Westbrook's effectiveness would be compromised by toning down, reeling in or smoothing out his more dangerously aggressive instincts, it's not worth it.

When LeBron James joins the "let Westbrook be Westbrook" movement, as he did following the game, according to B/R's Ethan Skolnick, it's probably best not to argue:

Westbrook is an unstoppable individual talent who ironically sometimes gets in his own way. That's fine. The Thunder have reached the NBA Finals with him playing like that, and if not for some bad injury luck over the past two postseasons, they might have made another trip or two.

When the Thunder return from the All-Star break, they'll head down the stretch as one of the most dangerous teams in the league—led by reigning MVP Durant and Westbrook, who used his All-Star Game performance to verify that he'd someday like such a trophy himself.

That's what Perkins slyly indicated, anyway:

And why would you ever argue with Perk?

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