Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook ranked No. 48 in NBA history

As we enter the sizzling summer months, we're approaching the point in the calendar year when the NBA takes a couple of months off. That allows for plenty of time to be perspective and reflect on what's happened in the past.

The Bleacher Report NBA staff took advantage of the downtime. They ranked the top 100 NBA players of all time. The extensive project had an all-hands-on-deck approach. They conjured up the votes and released a naturally controversial ranking.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's exclusion might be one of the biggest snubs, there were other players who represented the Oklahoma City Thunder among the 100 players. One was Russell Westbrook. He came in at No. 48 in the rankings.

Westbrook played the first 11 of his 17 seasons on the Thunder. He won the 2016-17 MVP award and was a perennial All-Star and All-NBA member during his time in OKC. He was the co-star alongside Kevin Durant in the Thunder's first championship window.

"This is the league MVP who made us numb to triple-doubles, and who is deemed at least somewhat responsible for Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder," Bleacher Report wrote. "His unbridled athleticism both endured longer than most other explosive talents and lent itself to mass errancy in forays to the basket."

At his peak, Westbrook was one of the NBA's best players. The polarizing player dominated the stat sheet and usually won plenty of games, but had plenty of skeptics who said his style of basketball ultimately won't bring home a championship. So far, both sides have been proven right.

"There is a fine line between greatness and arrogance. Westbrook has straddled it, blurred it, even swallowed it whole," Bleacher Report wrote. "Whatever your thoughts on his style and demeanor, there is no refuting the MVP, nine All-NBA appearances, three assist titles and two scoring titles he has amassed with his force-of-nature approach."

Since leaving the Thunder, Westbrook has journeyed around the NBA. He's played for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets in his six seasons since leaving OKC. The 36-year-old hopes to continue his career as a backup guard.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook ranked No. 48 in NBA history