Kevin Durant is hardly most people’s favorite NBA player, especially not after the way his last few career moves have gone. While most fans realize that Durant is one-of-a-kind and an elite player, they still find it hard to stomach how he has hopped around from team to team in pursuit of a championship. And this all began the day he decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, even KD recognizes that day as the day his legacy died in the eyes of the larger NBA fanbase.
And things have not gotten all that much better for the superstar teammate he left behind. While Russell Westbrook did go on to win an MVP as the lone star in OKC, playoff success evaded him, and he eventually left as well. He’s been bouncing around the league since. His stint in LA so far has been so disappointing that most fans want to see him traded at any cost.
The two hardly parted on glorious terms; there was some bad blood between KD and Russ for a while. And considering that Durant moved to the team that beat them in 2016, which was already quite stacked, this is perhaps understandable. In any case, things have never really been the same between the once dynamic duo again.
Kevin Durant Left Russell Westbrook Of His List Of Top 5 Teammates, Before Then Including Him
Kevin Durant was on the Million Dollaz Of Game podcast by Barstool Sports in April 2021 when he was asked to name his Top 5 teammates throughout his career. And while talking about it, he unbelievably left Russell Westbrook off the list, although he added him almost immediately after.
.@KDTrey5 reveals his top 5 teammates with one notable exception.
Listen to his full interview on an all new @mworthofgame here: https://t.co/eTD0GejBj5 pic.twitter.com/2nAkpFMQku
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 19, 2021
“Kyrie, James Harden, Steph, Klay… imma go Serge Ibaka… I forgot somebody? Oh sh*t, damn, I am tripping, Russell. I forgot about Russ.”
While sometimes some things can be forgotten in the heat of the moment, this seemed like a snub from KD for sure. Westbrook and Durant played together in OKC for 8 seasons, and they were extremely tight during that time. And Russ was a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. To choose Serge Ibaka over him is a little wild.
Of course, Durant turned around and said he would add Russ after it was pointed out to him, but that felt like just damage control. With both players currently not enjoying the best press, though, perhaps they can rekindle their friendship over a mutual dislike of their many haters.
