It’s not often that you have two legitimate MVP candidates on the same team, so the NBA decided to recognize that unique accomplishment Monday when they named Oklahoma City Thunder duo Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the co-Player of the Month recipients for December. It marks just the third time in league history that two (or more) teammates have shared those honors.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are only the third pair of teammates in NBA history to share Player of the Month honors.
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) January 4, 2016
The 2015 Hawks' starting five shared the award, as did Michael Finley, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash from the 2002 Mavs.
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) January 4, 2016
Going into the 2015-2016 campaign, many believed that Westbrook’s emergence as a walking triple-double threat last season would undermine their chemistry upon Durant’s return this year, but the exact opposite has happened so far. Westbrook is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals while Durant is well above his career averages in shooting percentage from the field and behind-the-arc. And most importantly, the Thunder are currently in third place in the Western Conference standings and have established themselves as legitimate contenders.
Out East, Wizards point guard John Wall has earned some recognition of his own as that conference’s Player of the Month awardee. He’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder lately after falling in the early All-Star voting returns, and for the month of December, he became the first player since Chris Paul in 2009 to average at least 22 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds for a month.
(Via NBA.com)
