Watch Russell Westbrook's Emotional 2016-17 MVP Award Acceptance Speech
Three years ago, Kevin Durant was overcome with emotion during his MVP acceptance speech, calling his mom "the real MVP." During Monday night's NBA Awards presentation in New York City, his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook provided a similar moment upon accepting the 2016-17 MVP award.
You can view his speech below:
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Westbrook earned 69 of the 101 first-place votes, with Houston Rockets guard James Harden coming in second place with 22 first-place votes.
Westbrook's win came as little surprise despite the fact the Thunder finished eight games back of the Rockets and lost to Houston in the first round of the 2017 playoffs.
Westbrook was the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62. He posted 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists a night.
The six-time All-Star was also far and away the biggest reason the Thunder reached the postseason despite Durant's departure last summer. Westbrook's 41.7 percent usage rate was an NBA record, per Basketball Reference. Oklahoma City was also 12.2 points better per 100 possessions when Westbrook was on the court, according to NBA.com.
