Over a decade after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s promising young core broke apart, Kevin Durant is still reflecting on what could have been and who seemed a little too happy about it. In the latest season of Netflix’s Starting 5, Durant opened up about his frustration following James Harden’s trade to the Houston Rockets in 2012, calling out how certain NBA stars, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, reacted publicly.
“What pissed me off is like Bron and D-Wade and so many dudes around the NBA sending tweets out like, ‘Congrats to my bro James, he got his, he going to Houston, he gonna kill it.’”
“When they were just happy that we weren’t together no more. They were so happy. I know Bron and them were so f**king happy that we weren’t together no more, because we was on they a**.”
“Everybody in the league was like, ‘Man, James, I’m so happy you in Houston, man, you gonna kill it, bro, my bro.’ I was like, shut the f**k up. Y’all just scared. Y’all knew we was on our way. Overall, I was mad.”
“I know Bron was so fucking happy we weren’t together no more, cuz we was on they ass”
— KD talking about when Harden got traded to Houston 👀 pic.twitter.com/PZdaEobioh
— 𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙖 (@arkaavs) October 16, 2025
The comment sheds light on one of the most pivotal moments in modern NBA history, when Oklahoma City traded Harden to Houston after contract extension talks fell apart. That decision ended one of the most promising young trios ever assembled: Durant, Harden, and Russell Westbrook.
The three had just led OKC to the 2012 NBA Finals, where they lost to LeBron’s Miami Heat– in five games. But despite being only in their early 20s, it was clear the Thunder were a rising powerhouse built to dominate for years.
Durant, in hindsight, believes the rest of the league, especially the Heat, breathed a sigh of relief when the trio broke up.
Harden’s departure from Oklahoma City wasn’t just a trade, it was the end of an era before it ever truly began. The Thunder, who had three future MVPs under 24 years old, seemed destined for dominance. But financial disagreements and the front office’s unwillingness to go into the luxury tax led to the split.
In the years that followed, all three players went on to stardom: Durant winning titles with Golden State, Westbrook winning MVP in 2017, and Harden becoming one of the league’s most prolific scorers in Houston. Still, fans have always wondered: what if OKC had stayed together?
Durant’s comments add a new layer to that story, revealing how emotionally invested he was in that young Thunder core and how much it bothered him that rival stars publicly celebrated its dissolution.
While LeBron James hasn’t publicly responded to Durant’s remarks, it’s worth remembering the context of 2012. LeBron and Wade had just won their first championship together and were viewed as the NBA’s superteam villains. The Thunder were the league’s next young threat the talented, fearless team that nearly dethroned them. When Harden was traded, it effectively disarmed that challenge.
LeBron’s tweet at the time congratulating Harden and wishing him success, seemed innocent enough on the surface. But to Durant, it symbolized something deeper: a sigh of relief from a rival who knew the Thunder could have been a dynasty.
Durant’s comments underscore what has always defined him relentless competitiveness and a sharp memory for those moments that felt like disrespect. His frustration wasn’t just about Harden leaving; it was about watching what could have been a generational trio dismantled and realizing that even his fiercest rivals were grateful for it.
More than a decade later, Durant’s bitterness reflects how close that Thunder team was to changing NBA history. They were young, hungry, and only a few possessions away from beating one of the greatest teams ever assembled.
And as Durant sees it, the rest of the league, including LeBron, knew it too.
