After spending eight years together, Kevin Durant decided to part ways with his partner in crime, Russell Westbrook. Durant became a free agent and decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join the Golden State Warriors. The attention immediately shifted to Westbrook; how he felt about the decision, what the Thunder would do, and what were his plans?
There was speculation that maybe Westbrook told Durant he would leave too when he becomes a free agent next offseason, but judging from Durant’s comments, his decision had nothing to do with his friend and star point guard.
Durant said in his “evolution as a player and as a man”, he had to move out of his comfort zone to a new city and community that offers the greatest potential for his personal growth. “I’m sure he wasn’t happy about the decision, but he respected it as a friend,” Durant told reporters at his first press conference as a member of the Warriors. “The relationship was great… but like I said, I wanted a new chapter in my life.”
Though Durant feels he did what’s best for him, he knows that his relationship with Westbrook is forever changed. In an interview with Chinese sports outlet Sina, Durant discussed the state of his relationship with Russ. “I just told [Westbrook], I let him know how I felt,” he said. “And you obviously, our relationship probably won’t ever be the same again, but it’s something I wanted to do and I expressed that to him. Hopefully, he respected it.”
Above all, Westbrook is a competitor. He’ll likely have a better understanding of Durant’s decision next year when he too becomes a free agent.
