Russell Westbrook breaks silence about BEEF with Kevin Durant ahead of playoff battle between friends-turned-foes
Russell Westbrook cleared the air and addressed his relationship with Kevin Durant before their playoffs round one matchup as Suns face Clippers in the 7-game series.
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Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook
The Los Angeles Clippers will face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs. This game will pit friends turned foes, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, against each other. Before their infamous rivalry commenced after Durant’s exit from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the duo were inseparable for eight years. They led the team to great heights in their years together with the team, even reaching the NBA Finals in 2012. Eventually, Durant exited the team in 2016 and joined the Golden State Warriors to fulfill his championship aspirations, much to the dismay of his former co-star.
Westbrook was asked about his opinions on the Clippers’ matchup against the Suns and going against his long-time rival Kevin Durant. Westbrook made sure he cleared the air about the existence of any beef between both the players. He said, “It’ll be normal for me.”
Westbrook claimed there was no animosity between him and his former teammate. He said, “I think people still think there’s some beef or something. There’s no beef. I got nothing but respect for him and things he’s done with his career.” He also wished Durant well on coming back from his injury. Russ said, “Happy to see him back from injury.”
The Suns will face off against the Clippers on Sunday evening in Game 1 of the seven-game series. It will be interesting to watch the old rivalry reignited even though there’s no animosity between the players. Let us take a deeper dive into Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant’s history together.
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Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant, a rivalry of the past
Durant and Westbrook teamed up at the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. The duo turned a struggling franchise into a Western Conference juggernaut, but could never actually reach the pinnacle of hoisting a championship. After OKC blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Western Conference Finals to the Warriors, Durant, a free agent that summer, infamously chose to join GSW to win an NBA title. Despite the bond they previously shared, Durant’s move immediately started a beef between them.
Westbrook eventually went on to win the MVP award in 2017 and Durant was successful in getting his hands at the title with the Warriors. Both players then embarked on different career trajectories as Westbrook was drifting around the league in different teams. On the other hand, Durant was successful with the Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and now in Phoenix.
The two shared a heated moment on the court during Durant’s second year with the Warriors. But the rivalry seems to have come to an end.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the Clippers upset the Suns or Phoenix marches on. We might still see some sparks and find out that no love was lost between Westbrook and Durant. Whatever the outcome, the series promises to be one for the ages.
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Harshit Singh
(434 Articles Published)