I still remember July 4th when Kevin Durant posted the first-person article on The Player’s Tribune announcing that he was leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. I remember checking Russell Westbrook’s social media to see if the outspoken guard said anything about losing his partner in crime. I also remember seeing the picture of the cupcakes he posted, thinking it was his way of showing he’s unbothered. Well, it turns out I was wrong.
Russell Westbrook is the cover star the “NBA Preview” edition of Sports Illustrated. In this excerpt they talk about Durant leaving, and what seemed like an innocent Instagram post:
Westbrook and Durant were not best buds, but they were peerless partners, a souped-up Stockton and Malone, transporting a mini market to the big time. Westbrook’s closest friends are actually former high school teammates, long-standing wing men like Donnell Beverly and Demetrius (Juice) Deason, who flank him in summer pickup games and play dominoes with him on the Fourth. “He didn’t talk much about what happened,” says Beverly. Westbrook didn’t disparage Durant. He didn’t judge him. All he did was take a picture. When Kendrick Perkins played center for the Thunder, he called teammates “cupcake” if he thought they were acting a little soft. Westbrook and Durant adopted the term in jest. Westbrook posted a bittersweet pic on Instagram: three plates of cupcakes topped by red and blue stars and sprinkles.
