Russell Westbrook named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Add it to the list: Russell Westbrook has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May. Golden State point guard Steph Curry took home the corresponding award in the West. It’s Westbrook’s ninth Player of the Month award and his first since December 2017.
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Westbrook’s numbers during the month of May are eye-opening. He’s averaged 26.3 points, 13.8 rebounds and an astonishing 16.1 assists during a nine-game span in which he’s led Washington to a 5-4 record. Per an NBA press release, “Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to average at least 26 points, 16 assists and 13 rebounds in a calendar month.”
The announcement comes on the heels of perhaps the best month of Westbrook’s career. Aside from his personal accomplishments, he’s stabilized the Wizards during Bradley Beal’s absences due to hamstring issues. Thanks to Westbrook, the Wizards have made it to the NBA’s Play-In Tournament where they’ll play Boston for a chance to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2018—a scenario many people thought far-fetched just a few months ago.
Westbrook’s Player of the Month Award is the latest of what has been a mountain of accomplishments in a Wizards jersey. Last week, he broke Oscar Robertson’s all-time record for career triple-doubles with 182. That same week, he was named the east’s Player of the Week for May 3-8. Just yesterday, he officially claimed his third career NBA assist title, and now, he can add Player of the Month to that list.
Westbrook, 32, has made a solid case for all-NBA since arriving in the nation’s capital. He’s meshed perfectly with Bradley Beal—who finished the season second in scoring only to Steph Curry—enabling the duo to stretch the floor and open up lanes for the frontcourt. With Washington in the eighth seed in the east, a playoff series could be on the horizon depending on their success in the play-in.
