Russell Westbrook is on top of the world, as he was crowned the new triple-double king Sunday night. Against the Denver Nuggets Sunday night, he scored 50 points and nailed the game-winning bucket at the buzzer. He also passed Oscar Robertson with his 42nd triple-double, having the most triple-doubles in a season. This game was unlike any other, and many NBA players and fans took to social media to congratulate Westbrook. Now that he owns the record, there will be many benefits to being the new triple-double king, but there also will be some consequences.

Benefits

There are many benefits to Westbrook breaking the NBA triple-double record, many being almost immediate:

  • MVP Trophy: With many people realizing the feat Russell Westbrook just accomplished, there is no reason Westbrook's name isn't on the MVP trophy. He has broken the single season triple-double record, is averaging a triple-double, and has carried a team that hasn't had great players to a playoff appearance. Westbrook's performance on Sunday night locked up the MVP, if he didn't do it up to this point.
  • Sponsors & Deals: Westbrook should expect phone calls from many companies asking him to make a commercial for them this summer. He already is on team Jordan and there will definitely be a big payday for Westbrook, maybe even his own shoe, as he currently is the face of the Air Jordan XXXI shoe. Westbrook is going to be have even more money to spend on his outrageous clothing with the new deals walking in the door.
  • Playoffs: Westbrook's season has carried his Thunder team to the sixth seed in the playoffs. Many thought the Thunder wouldn't even be in the playoffs, as they lost an MVP in Kevin Durant, and many thought Westbrook wasn't a true point guard. Well, he proved the haters wrong, leading a mediocre team to a date with the Rockets in round one of the playoffs. This is the benefit Russell Westbrook would care about the most, as he wants a chance to win a championship.

Consequences

When there are benefits, there are consequences, and being a triple-double king does have its downsides.

The consequences won't be immediate, but they will be present.

  • No Offseason Help: With Russell being able to carry a team of this caliber by himself, it might come back to hurt him. The front office failed to put playmakers around Westbrook, and some games you saw that. The front office might feel comfortable with Russ doing it on his own, but this is an NBA where you need more than one star to get a championship.
  • Encore Expectations: Westbrook's season is once every 50 years, but that wont stop fans from expecting even more. Russell Westbrook is setting the bar awfully high for himself and he might even be able to reach it. Fans will expect him to have 82 triple-doubles, not 42 next season. Fans are expecting an even better encore from him in the playoffs and next season.

Depending on who you are, the benefits definitely outweigh the consequences if you crowned the triple-double king or vice versa. For Westbrook, he will face all of these things head-on.
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