A small, curious part of me can't help but wonder whether it was before, during, or after Russell Westbrook begun compiling historic numbers that are without precedent over the last half century that he started doing the addition on his in memoriam math. After all, you can let his triple-double inspired MVP chase from a few seasons ago serve as proof that there is no stopping that man when he is on a mission, even if that mission is the NBA equivalent of the fucking moon landing. The truth of the matter is that whatever that truth is doesn't really matter. What does matter is that Russell Westbrook took the floor across from the hometown team of both himself and senselessly slain rapper-turned-role model he was clearly paying tribute to and put on a performance that made damn sure that, if only for one more day, the latter's name and legacy would continue to lead the news. It would be wildly disingenuous for me to act as if I fully understand everything that Nipsey Hussle meant to the community to which he both figuratively and literally gave his life. However, being the blatantly obvious motivation for Russell Westbrook's monumental effort certainly didn't do anything to blur that admittedly naive perspective. As much attention as you could possibly bring to the memory of an objectively good man through the playing of basketball, his friend and peer achieved in a triumphantly bittersweet way that had all eyez on the undeniable impact of someone who has been described as this generation's Tupac. The importance of that might not calculate as cleanly as the first 20/20/20 game in 51 years, but hopefully an undeniable association with a legend translates across the boundaries of the culture that it was unquestionably for as we discuss what was as legendary a stat line as it was a well-deserved dedication.
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