Kevin Durant offered a heartfelt tribute to Russell Westbrook following the veteran guard’s announcement that he is retiring from the NBA, reflecting on the years the two shared as teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant’s message centered on Westbrook’s relentless work ethic and competitive drive — qualities that defined Westbrook’s career across 17 seasons in the league. The tribute underscored the bond the two stars built during their time together in Oklahoma City, where they formed one of the most dynamic backcourt partnerships in the modern era of professional basketball.
Westbrook, who spent the bulk of his career with the Thunder before stints with the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, retires as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. He recorded 198 triple-doubles over the course of his career, surpassing the previous record held by Oscar Robertson.
Durant and Westbrook played together in Oklahoma City from 2008 to 2016, reaching the NBA Finals in 2012, where the Thunder fell to the Miami Heat in five games. Their partnership produced some of the franchise’s most successful seasons and cemented both players as perennial All-Stars.
After Durant departed for the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016, the two had a well-documented complicated relationship, with both players and those around them occasionally fueling a narrative of tension. Despite those reports, Durant’s retirement message pointed to genuine mutual respect built over years of competing alongside each other at the highest level.
Westbrook was selected fourth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft out of UCLA and went on to earn nine All-Star selections, one NBA Most Valuable Player award — claimed in the 2016-17 season when he averaged a triple-double for the entire year — and a spot among the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
