Skip to main content

Kevin Durant: Relationship with Russell Westbrook won’t be the same

Warriors forward Kevin Durant discussed his changed relationship with Thunder guard Russell Wesbrook.
  • Author:
  • Publish date:

Your teams on the go or at home. Personalize SI with our new App. Install on iOS or Android.

Warriors forward Kevin Durant told a Chinese news outlet that his relationship with former teammate Russell Westbrook has been changed forever.

Durant, a four-time scoring champion and former MVP, left the Thunder for the Warriors this off-season after nine years in Oklahoma City. The Thunder drafted Durant with the No. 2 pick in the 2007 NBA draft.

Westbrook, the No. 4 pick in the 2008 draft, had spent his entire NBA career with Durant until this summer.

“I just told [Westbrook], I let him know how I felt,” Durant told Sina. “And you obviously, our relationship probably won’t ever be the same again, but it’s something I wanted to do and I expressed that to him. Hopefully, he respected it.”

SI Roundtable: Which former player should the Warriors unretire?

One of the reasons Durant chose to leave Oklahoma City was because he reportedly grew frustrated of playing with Westbrook.

Durant signed a two-year, $54.3 million contract to join Golden State. Westbrook can become a free agent after this season, and is reportedly on the trading block.