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One of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history continues to be the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder had home-grown and developed their own super team after selecting James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook in consecutive NBA Drafts, all of who would go on to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award at some point in their careers.
The Thunder had built a contender and even made it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2012 when they faced off against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Miami Heat but ultimately fell to them in five games. Oklahoma City never got a chance to run it back as the Thunder traded Harden to the Houston Rockets just before the start of the following season.
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Kevin Durant Details Why He Left Thunder To Join Warriors
The trio ultimately split up, and Durant was the first to do so willingly after he left the Thunder in 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors. During a recent appearance on Chips a new series hosted by Warriors forward Draymond Green, Durant details his decision to ultimately part from the franchise that drafted him.
“It was a basketball decision, but i also didn’t give a f***. I felt like i was absolutely the perfect fit on both sides of the ball for the Warriors and I felt like my game reached a point where I had to really see what that looked like. I felt like that move was a no-brainer,” Durant said.
” I always knew that i wanted to end up in Golden State even though I had to go through the process of all those meetings. Just the way you guys handled yourselves in interviews, the way you guys played, I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
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Durant Addressed His Relationship With Westbrook After Departure
The perception through the scope of the general public was a major reason that Durant departed the Thunder was that he no longer wanted to play with Russell Westbrook. Durant was quick to refute those claims in a 2016 interview with Anthony Slater of Mercury News.
“I love Russ. I don’t care what nobody say. I don’t care what he say or what the fans say. Like, this is a tough time right now in our relationship. But I love Russ. I love his family. They all know that. I never did anything morally wrong. I never back-stabbed him in real life, never did anything behind his back, never told anyone anything about his character. Never did any of that. I just left teams. I just switched teams. Everyone on the outside is looking at it as, ‘Oh, you must not have liked him.’ Hell no,” Durant said per the Mercury News.
Durant’s decision to join the Warriors was met with a lot a criticism especially because it meant leaving behind Westbrook, who he had went to war with on several occassions and joined the team who had just beat them in the playoffs. Durant addressed those perceptions and admits that he may not have done things the right way, but he and Westbrook will address their issues in due time.
“I’m not saying I’m right. I’m not saying I did it the right way. I’m owning up to that,” Durant continued. “We’re not going to go through this in the media though. I’m not going to say I should’ve did this, should’ve did that. We’ll figure our differences out as men 1-on-1.”
Durant and Westbrook’s journey could come full circle this season if the Nets and Lakers meet in the 2022 NBA Finals.
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