The breakup between Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the messiest in NBA history.
Years later, emotions are still raw, and people hold very strong opinions about Durant’s departure.
Russell Westbrook is one of those people, and he recently spoke about losing Durant to the Golden State Warriors, OKC’s biggest Western Conference rivals.
“I’m pissed. I’m livid. I feel like we let that opportunity slip away. I start laughing instantly I’m like this can’t be true, nah no way (KD) would go to that team, they just beat us,” Westbrook said.
“I’m pissed. I’m livid. I feel like we let that opportunity slip away. I start laughing instantly I’m like this can’t be true, nah no way (KD) would go to that team, they just beat us.”
– Russ on KD leaving
(h/t @TheWestbrookEra )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 16, 2025
The Thunder were one of the best teams in the league, but they fell short in the 2015-16 postseason, and Durant was ready for a change.
There were rumors of him leaving the Thunder, but few people expected him to head to the team that just beat him.
When Durant announced he was moving to Golden State, nearly all Thunder fans were upset.
They claimed he was chasing a championship ring and abandoning the franchise that gave him a chance.
The fact that he was going to the Warriors made the whole situation even worse, as Westbrook noted.
Durant and Westbrook butted heads for a few years after this decision, although they seem to be in a better spot now.
Thunder fans haven’t forgotten what happened, and this move will follow Durant for the rest of his career, even if it ultimately made the most sense for him.
Thankfully, those fans are now celebrating their team finally becoming champions, which makes his painful moment in history a little more tolerable.
NEXT: Bill Simmons Gives Major Endorsement To Thunder's Rising Star
