One of three basketball superstars could win the 2017 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award tonight. And of the three ballers, two are sponsored by Jordan Brand and one is tied to Adidas.
The favorite to win the award among analysts, fans and sportsbooks is Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who is a Jordan Brand ambassador. Westbrook had a stellar 2016-17 campaign, highlighted by breaking a 55-year-old record held by NBA icon Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in a season.
Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.4 assists and 10.7 rebounds per game wearing the Air Jordan XXXI ($185 via nike.com).
Westbrook’s toughest competition for the NBA MVP award comes from Adidas ambassador James Harden, who hit the court in his first signature shoe, the Adidas Harden Vol. 1. Harden ($139.99-$159.99 at Foot Locker), the superstar guard for the Houston Rockets, averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game.
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Jordan Brand athlete Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs rounds out the list of finalists. Like Westbrook, Leonard played in the Air Jordan XXXI. The defensive-minded forward averaged 25.5 points, 3.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game for the season.
The winner will be announced as part of tonight’s NBA Awards show on TNT, which will unveil the winners of other league awards, including Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. The show tips off at 9 p.m. ET.
