Durant shared a story on X detailing his time as teammates with Westbrook, where he asked former Oklahoma City Coach, Maurice \u201cMo\u201d Cheeks what\u2019s harder: \u201cworkout after practice or before??\u201d <\/p>\n
Durant asked the question because he would always find Westbrook finishing up his workouts in the morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cMo like, \u2018Coming in before practice is probably harder,\u201d Durant wrote. \u201cSince then, it\u2019s been my routine\u2026 a lot of people looked at the emotions on the court, and though Russ was loud, nah to me, he was quiet and methodical.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Kevin](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/58882473_CORRECTION-Thunder-Lakers-Basketball.jpg\")
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as teammates with the OKC Thunder. AP<\/p>\n
Durant went on to write that Westbrook would always lead by example, leaving everything out there, while experiencing true freedom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI seen it inspire people from all walks of life, crazy thing is, he didn\u2019t say much, just showed up.\u201d Durant wrote. \u201cFor 18 years. This basketball life is sacred to us as professionals, what we put into that court means everything. Some of us wish we could go back and do things with a little more intent, and some can just wipe their hands and be satisfied with the time spent.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Westbrook and Durant were teammates in Oklahoma City, the two were on the brink of becoming one of the greatest duos in basketball, as they made the Western Conference Finals five times, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012 with James Harden.<\/p>\n
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The trio of Westbrook, Durant, and Harden ultimately ended up losing in the 2012 NBA Finals to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Harden would leave the two behind<\/a> after he was traded to the Rockets.<\/p>\n Durant became the league\u2019s MVP in 2014, and would go to the Western Conference Finals with Westbrook two more times in 2013 and 2017, when they were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n Durant reached free agency that offseason and would end up signing with the Warriors.<\/a><\/p>\n This sparked a rivalry on the court that would last between the two,<\/a> while the Warriors would become the team to become the league\u2019s juggernaut.<\/p>\n Durant and the Warriors would go on to win two NBA titles [2017, 2018], where he was crowned Finals MVP in both series<\/a>, while Westbrook would win MVP in 2017.<\/p>\n In his post, Durant hinted at wishing he had handled his departure from Oklahoma City by saying, \u201cSome of us wish we could go back and do things with a little more intent, and some can just wipe their hands and be satisfied with the time spent.\u201d<\/p>\n Durant ended the post by reminiscing about their time together as teammates and went on to send his love to Westbrook and his family and congratulate him on an \u201cIconic career.\u201d<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Kevin](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026022NYKVHOU3478RS.jpg\")
Kevin Durant as a member of the Houston Rockets. Robert Sabo for NY Post<\/p>\n
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