Cuban: Westbrook has superstar numbers, but Thunder must win

Dallas Mavericks billionaire owner Mark Cuban is sticking to his guns when it comes to his controversial assessment of Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.

During his team's playoff series with the Thunder last season, Cuban stirred the pot when he referred to Westbrook as an "All-star, but not a superstar." Kevin Durant stuck up for his then-teammate, calling Cuban an "idiot."

Fast forward seven months later, and the 28-year-old is on a triple-double tear for the ages with Durant no longer in the equation. Even with his historically great numbers, Cuban isn't ready to change his thought process just yet.

"He's putting up superstar numbers. That's for damn sure," Cuban said of Westbrook, who entered Friday night's game again the Houston Rockets averaging 31 points, 11.3 assists, and 10.9 rebounds, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "I'm not taking anything away from what he's been able to accomplish, but I'm not going to change my definition. He's putting superstar numbers. You can't deny that.

"That's no disrespect to Russell. He's been a beast. Few have done what he's done, but I'll stick by my definition. I'm not saying that he's not going to prove me wrong and that he (won't be) a superstar by the end of the year. That's fine, but I'll stick by my definition."

Cuban's mindset is that a legitimate superstar can lead a subpar team to at least 50 wins and take a series or two in the postseason. Well, Westbrook fell short in that regard during the 2014-15 campaign when Durant missed time with a foot injury.

Oklahoma City currently possesses a 14-8 record (9.5 games ahead of the Mavericks), with Westbrook ranking second in scoring, ninth in rebounds, and second in dimes.