I remember sitting in a dimly lit sports bar last March, the scent of stale beer and fried food hanging in the air as my friends argued passionately about who deserved the MVP title. On the screen above us, Russell Westbrook was putting up yet another triple-double while James Harden orchestrated Houston's offense with mesmerizing efficiency. That's when it hit me - we were witnessing one of the most competitive NBA seasons in recent memory, which got me thinking about the ultimate question: NBA Player Rankings 2017: Who Truly Dominated the Court This Season?
The debate reminded me of that legendary boxing moment my grandfather used to describe - the 1975 Thrilla in Manila where Ali won by TKO after Futch felt Frazier, with both eyes badly swollen, had enough and refused to let him come out for the 15th and final round. There's something profoundly compelling about witnessing greatness pushed to its absolute limits, whether in boxing or basketball. This season felt like that final round - multiple superstars refusing to back down, each believing they had one more round left in them.
Westbrook's historic achievement of averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game felt like watching someone defy basketball physics itself. I still get chills remembering that game-winning three-pointer against Denver to secure his 42nd triple-double - the crowd's roar seemed to shake my living room walls. Yet here's where I might ruffle some feathers: as spectacular as those numbers were, I've always believed pure stats don't always tell the complete story of court domination.
Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard was quietly putting together what I consider the most underrated two-way season I've ever witnessed. The man was like a basketball ninja - you'd blink and he'd have stolen the ball and converted it into a transition dunk. His 25.5 points per game don't jump off the page like Westbrook's numbers, but watching him lock down opponents while maintaining offensive efficiency was like watching a master craftsman at work. There's an argument to be made that he was actually the most complete player that season, though his quieter demeanor meant he didn't always dominate the headlines.
Then there was LeBron James, who at 32 years old was still very much the king of the court. I'll never forget his performance in the Finals - averaging 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 56.4% from the field. It was basketball perfection, though Cleveland ultimately fell short. The Warriors' superteam with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry created this fascinating dynamic where individual brilliance sometimes got lost in their collective dominance. Still, watching Durant put up 25.1 points per game on 53.7% shooting while playing the best defense of his career made me appreciate how his game had evolved.
What made the 2017 season particularly special was how these different styles of dominance collided. It wasn't just about who put up the flashiest numbers, but about who could elevate their team when it mattered most. Much like that boxing match where both fighters gave everything they had, these NBA superstars left nothing on the court. The beauty of that season wasn't necessarily about crowning one definitive winner, but about appreciating how each player's unique approach to domination created a season we'd still be talking about years later.