Before Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook became MVPs, rivals, former teammates and permanent pieces of Oklahoma City Thunder history, they were two young players learning how to build an NBA life together.
Durant returned to those early days Thursday in a heartfelt social media tribute after Westbrook retired following 18 seasons.
There were no attempts to revisit old arguments or repair their shared history for public consumption. Durant instead wrote about what happened before the cameras arrived: the morning workouts, bus rides, card games and private moments that shaped one of the most important partnerships in Thunder history.
Durant recalled asking former Thunder assistant Maurice Cheeks what was harder—working out before practice or afterward. Durant generally completed his work after practice. By the time he reached the gym each morning, Westbrook was already finished.
Cheeks said the morning routine was probably harder.
“Since then, it’s been my routine,” Durant wrote.
Westbrook’s work habits left a permanent mark on Durant, who described his former teammate as something far different from the combustible personality fans saw during games.
“A lot of people looked at the emotions on the court and thought Russ was loud,” Durant wrote. “Nah, to me, he was quiet and methodical.”
Durant Looks Back on Thunder’s First Great Run
GettyKevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder sit on the bench before Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 24, 2013 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Durant and Westbrook spent eight seasons together in Oklahoma City, transforming a 23-win team into a Western Conference power.
They reached four Western Conference finals and advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals while still in their early 20s. The Thunder eliminated the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant’s Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs before losing to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
“The first YNs, finals run in our early 20s, All-Star games, seeing each other get injured and bounce back, the bus rides, plane rides, card games, jokes and arguments—the whole thing, memorable,” Durant wrote.
Their partnership ended abruptly when Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State in 2016. The decision strained their relationship and turned subsequent meetings into emotionally charged events, particularly inside the arena they once shared.
Durant’s retirement tribute reached beyond that fracture.
“I don’t care what happens, can’t erase what it was,” he wrote.
It was perhaps the clearest summary of a complicated basketball bond: Whatever followed, the beginning still belonged to them.
Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Legacy
GettyRussell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts after a made basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of game three of the Western Conference quarterfinals at Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 19, 2019 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Westbrook remained with the Thunder for three more seasons after Durant’s departure. He won the 2017 MVP award after becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double, carrying Oklahoma City through the first season of its post-Durant era.
He spent 11 seasons with the franchise before being traded to Houston in 2019.
Westbrook retired as the NBA’s all-time leader with 209 triple-doubles. He also finished fifth in career assists and 14th in scoring, according to Reuters. His résumé includes nine All-Star selections, nine All-NBA honors, two scoring titles and three assist crowns.
Durant focused on something less quantifiable.
“He didn’t say much,” Durant wrote. “He just showed up. For 18 years.”
He closed by sending his love to Westbrook’s wife, Nina, their children, parents, brother and everyone who accompanied him from Leuzinger High School and UCLA to Oklahoma City and beyond.
The Thunder have built another championship era since Durant and Westbrook left. But their first ascent—the young stars, the packed arena and the feeling that anything was possible—remains impossible to separate from either man.
Thunder Icon Russell Westbrook Gets Emotional Kevin Durant Tribute