Russell Westbrook's Belief in Himself Puts Thunder in Control of West Finals

OAKLAND, Calif. — We are witnessing the Will of Westbrook.

It has now won once against the Golden State Warriors.

And because it will forever see a green light no matter the criticism, it is the force that makes the Oklahoma City Thunder capable of winning again and again and again to win this series.

Casual fans drawn to the NBA Western Conference Finals on Monday by the noted artistry of Stephen Curry were introduced to or reminded of what Russell Westbrook does, and what he does is impossible to overlook.

It makes the most of every moment.

It cannot be controlled by external forces.   

And it sends the powerful and profound message that you should always be the hero of your own story.

Westbrook's personal motto is "Why not?" That attitude was everywhere for the Thunder in the second half of Game 1. OKC didn't accept that a 13-point halftime deficit meant it was destined to lose and outscored Golden State 61-42 the rest of the way to secure a 108-102 win.

Westbrook certainly doesn't give a bleep that the Thunder aren't supposed to march into Oracle Arena again Wednesday and put the Warriors down 0-2 in this series when Golden State hasn't lost consecutive games, home or away, all season.

But people who refuse to abide by what others deem realistic have been initiating change for all of history. Oftentimes, though, it's pretty tough to live with those people.

And Westbrook doesn't make things comfortable.

What you didn't see Monday night in what Thunder coach Billy Donovan called "an exceptional second half in every facet" (Westbrook had 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and no turnovers after halftime) was that Westbrook took over some of the coaching duties late in the game.

He came off the floor into one timeout with an idea and summoned Donovan to end his usual private huddle with his staff and come join the players at the bench, where Westbrook proceeded to do most of the talking. When he had communicated what he wanted, Westbrook turned and walked away from the huddle before anyone else was ready, going out and standing alone on the court.

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It was not unlike the way he will stand with disinterest on the perimeter of the team's pregame huddle when Kevin Durant offers words to fire up the team after the lineup is introduced.

Westbrook, 27, works on his terms. Yet he definitely works—and he knows what he's talking about, too.

Above all, there is reason to trust that all he does or says is in ardent pursuit of victory.

"My job is not just to score the basketball," Westbrook said. "My job is to get guys open, defend, rebound, whatever it is that's needed at that time to help us win games."

That's why Durant and the supporting cast have been able to make peace with Westbrook's individualism.

When Curry got into the postgame interview room just before Durant and Westbrook were ready to speak, the Thunder players had no choice but to wait.

Durant stood patiently in the area outside the interview room. Westbrook went his own way, heading through the tunnel to the court area for visits with friends and family.

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When Curry was almost done, Westbrook could be found leaning comfortably on the handrail in the middle of the stairs in the stands, talking to some and hugging others. After he was pulled away by media relations officials, Westbrook got frustrated when his younger brother was prevented from following him down the tunnel because he didn't have the right credential. Predictably, scowls and expletives from Westbrook followed.

All of that is the Will of Westbrook, too.

Even though he wasn't a big star at UCLA, he could be as disagreeable as one. As a barely recruited 5'9", 160-pound high school sophomore wondering if he would grow into his long arms and big hands, he gained notice initially by how aggressively he played.

"On the court he was ruthless," longtime Southern California high school basketball reporter Frank Burlison recently told B/R. "He would just attack guys. Like he does now, but he's NFL strong safety size, and back then he was doing it at high school cornerback size."

By the time he finished a second straight Final Four run as a sophomore, Westbrook's production had caught up to his body, convincing Thunder general manager Sam Presti to draft him fourth overall in 2008.

As much as Durant's sublime talents, it is Westbrook's self-belief that fuels the Thunder into believing they can win. His is such a singularly powerful energy that it forced everyone not wearing a Thunder uniform out of their Game 1 flow.

Westbrook's bones audibly crashed against the hardwood four times, and his focus seemed to increase with every fall.

Six referee eyes weren't enough to keep track of all the frenetic action that went on around him, which may be why he got away with that late-game travel.

Curry and the Warriors love playing fast, but in their Game 1 loss, they looked like guys who jumped on a treadmill at the "Westbrook" setting and were scrambling just to keep their feet.

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"We were rushing. Everything was rushed," Golden State's Draymond Green said. "We lost our poise. Russell was all over the place. He caused a lot of havoc, so we definitely lost our poise and weren't ourselves, that's for sure."

Said Curry: "We need to have more patience. More composure. And we need to continue to be us."

That's never a question with Westbrook. He loves his own skin; it's just a matter of discovering the best version of himself. Donovan has been trying to teach Westbrook about that, trying to guide his point guard to a place where execution will complement his emotion.

But Donovan knows what a weapon he has in all that is raw about Westbrook. He's the underdog fighter who loves that role but sees himself as a champ no matter what belt or ring (or high-risk fashion clothing) he wears.

What would become of the Will of Westbrook if it actually wins a championship?

That's where it gets really interesting. When something or someone is this coarse and difficult, we resist and reject it until a new lens is forced into place.

The truth is that Westbrook's drive to succeed is its own inspiration already. But Westbrook as a winner would gain him an acceptance along the lines of how winning earned Kobe Bryant a pass for his mercilessness or how Gregg Popovich hears little criticism, if any, for the demeaning way he scoffs at reporters with stubborn conviction. We revere winners, and what was once too harsh or out of control can become accepted and respected.

Westbrook isn't on a mission to reframe his will for the world to see.

He's just trying, same as ever, to be the hero of his story.

Kevin Ding is an NBA senior writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @KevinDing.