Name: Russell Westbrook

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: Point Guard

NBA Statistics: 21.9 (points), 5.2 (assists), 4.9 (rebounds)

Background: Growing up, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson was one of favourite basketball players, so it comes as no surprise that he aspired to become a top-class point guard. Though he was never the most feared or respected player growing up, he continued to practise and develop his craft, making him one of the best players for his position in the NBA today.

In his senior year at Leuzinger High School, he led his team to a 25-4 overall record, averaging over 25 points per game. While this is a highly commendable feat, he still did not attract a lot of attention for college basketball programmes except for a scholarship offer from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He arrived there in 2006, but failed to continue in his high school mould, managing a measly 3.4 points and 0.7 assists in his first year and despite improving the following year to 12.7 points and 4.3 assists, he still registered below par for a point guard viewpoint.

He was drafted as the fourth overall pick by the Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) in 2008 and showed immediate improvement, averaging 15.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Just months after his NBA debut, he became the first rookie to achieve a triple-double in four years with 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. In his second season, he was instrumental in taking the franchise to their first play-off berth where they lost 4-2 to eventual champions the Los Angeles Lakers.

While currently known for his passing accolades, he was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in his second season at UCLA.