No FMVP, Still a King: The Underrated Playoff Westbrook

People love to bring up "no FMVP." True, Westbrook never won a Finals MVP, the biggest gap on his resume. But an FMVP is just one award, never the only measure of a king.

Look at his playoff résumé: in the 2011 first round against the Lakers he averaged 25+ as a young gun trading blows with Kobe; in the 2012 Finals he faced the Heat Big Three averaging 27, often out-scoring Durant; in 2014 he battled Memphis on a banged-up leg and dragged the series to Game 7; in 2016 he pushed the 73-win Warriors to the brink, and without a late-game freak moment the story might have changed. Playoff Westbrook was never a soft target.

His issue was never ability but style — wanting to win so badly he'd sometimes force shots and turn it over. But that very "can't lose" mentality made him the opponent's worst nightmare. No FMVP, yet still the king his teammates trusted and his coaches both loved and feared. Awards may overlook some men, but basketball does not.

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For more Finals MVP breakdowns, see the Complete List of NBA Finals MVPs (1969–2026).