WATCH: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant Embrace After Clippers vs. Suns Game 2

Westbrook and Durant shared a cool moment after Game 2
WATCH: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant Embrace After Clippers vs. Suns Game 2
WATCH: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant Embrace After Clippers vs. Suns Game 2 /

Long time teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant had some very special seasons together. When Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in 2016, it understandably hurt Westbrook, but any real beef that may have existed after Durant's departure from OKC has been left in the past.

Westbrook spoke on this before the series began, saying, "I think people still think like there's some beef or something. There's no beef of any [kind], so I think that's the good narrative for media for people to talk about, but there's no beef. I got nothing but respect for him and things he's done with his career... There's no beef at all."

Durant shared similar sentiments, saying, “I think Russ is competitive against any player he plays against. I don’t think it was just specific to me. I think a lot of the fans and the people that were watching, it was high-intensity for them, it was entertainment for them. For us players, it’s just another game, it’s regularly scheduled programming. But Russ is that way. I’ve played with him for so long and watched him for so long, he was that way against everybody. So I don’t expect anything different.”

After Game 2 between the Clippers and Suns, Westbrook and Durant were seen sharing a brief embrace:

It was a cool moment to see, as the longtime teammates and one time rivals have moved beyond any hard feelings that may have existed.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.