Kevin Durant did not think the end was near for Russell Westbrook prior to the latter’s sudden retirement this offseason.
Westbrook announced in August that he was retiring from the NBA after nearly two decades. Durant crafted a heartfelt message to commemorate his former teammate a day after the news broke.
On Friday, Durant was asked about Westbrook’s retirement during a press conference in Macao ahead of the Houston Rockets’ international preseason clash against the Dallas Mavericks.
“I was a little sad. I still thought Russ had 5 or 6 more years left,” Durant said. “He’s an athletic body that can still impact the game positively.
“But sometimes people are at that point where they want to step away and do something different. Congrats to him on an iconic career. I know the next phase of his life, he’s going to put the same amount of work into it, just like he did in basketball.”
Westbrook still resembled a productive player in his final season with the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists across 64 games. But his impact on winning over the last several years of his career has been debatable, to say the least.
The 2016-17 NBA MVP probably could have eked out a few more seasons, but those would probably have been with other tanking teams looking to sell his jerseys and put butts in seats.
Russ still looked to be in game shape during his recent vacation with fellow retiree Chris Paul. However, imagining him playing “5 or 6 more years” down the line would likely not have been a pretty sight.