The professional relationship between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant was first forged during the summer of 2008. That’s when Westbrook was selected as the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics, joining Durant, who had been the second overall selection the year before.
Growing Together
Before they ever took the court together, the franchise moved its operations to Oklahoma City. Over the next few years, the two players served as the cornerstone of a Thunder team that was slowly developing into a powerhouse within the Western Conference. The first indication came during Westbrook’s second season, when the Thunder doubled its win total to 50 and gave the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers a strong test in the postseason.
The following year, they reached the conference finals, followed the next season by an appearance in the NBA Finals. Both efforts came up short, but the duo of Westbrook and Durant were still seen as being a pair that could bring Oklahoma City a title.
Frustration Leads to Departure
Continued roadblocks like the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors prevented that projection from coming true. Perhaps the most painful loss came last spring, when the Thunder blew a 3-1 advantage in the conference finals against the Warriors.
Durant’s free agent status after that series placed his future with the Thunder in doubt. Still, the belief by many was that he would sign at least one more year with the team, another prediction that imploded on July 4, when Durant announced he was signing with Golden State.
The Verbal Bombs Begin
That departure was expected to trigger Westbrook’s exit, given his tenuous contract situation. However, the guard signed a multi-year deal with Oklahoma City. Westbrook made a point to use the word, “loyalty,” in a comment, which many took as a dig at Durant.
Westbrook didn’t get around to publicly commenting on Durant’s departure until weeks later. When he did, the comments were relatively benign, classifying it as a business decision.
However, as the summer went on, Durant stated that the two maintained contact, though that method of communication was only through text message. He then sparked new controversy during an event at the Stanford Graduate School of Business on October 10. Durant remarked that the Warriors were a “selfless” team that enjoyed the game, the clear implication being that Westbrook and other previous teammates were too concerned about personal statistics to deliver a title.
Westbrook responded sarcastically by saying that he’s only concerned about all of Oklahoma City’s purportedly selfish players. He then indicated that wouldn’t discuss the issue again.
Dates to Circle
There were some other offseason moves that will make for interesting matchups this season, but Golden State vs. Oklahoma City trumps them all.The meetings between the Warriors and Thunder figure to increase the tension between Durant and Westbrook, with Golden State again becoming the team to beat. Their first meeting comes on November 3, but Durant’s first visit back to Oklahoma City won’t occur until February 11.
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