Kevin Durant’s 2016 departure from Oklahoma City still clearly hits different inside the Thunder circle, and Anthony Morrow just offered a candid look at how one former teammate handled the news.
Speaking on “Club 520,” Morrow revisited the day Durant decided to leave the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, a move that stunned the league and closed the door on what many believed could have been a dynasty in Oklahoma City. Morrow was with the Thunder from 2014 to 2017, and he said he reached out to Durant after the decision became public.
“That s*** was on July 4th. I’ll never forget.
I was leaving my daddy's house. Headed to the crib.
I texted him. I was like, ‘Bro, I had to pray about it.
Anthony Morrow tells a story about when Kevin Durant left OKC:
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 13, 2026
“That sh*t was on July 4th. I’ll never forget. I was leaving my daddy house. Headed to the crib. I text him. I was like, “Bro, I had to pray about it.” I was like, “Damn, sh*t got crazy, bro. I don’t want to cuss.” I… https://t.co/etaa41z2D0 pic.twitter.com/JdQItfaHPD
Damn, s*** got crazy, bro. I don’t want to cuss.'
I was like, ‘Bro, listen, you're my brother, bro. You made your decision.
How you supposed to make it, you’re a grown man. I just want you to be successful.'
He texted me like, ‘Appreciate it, bro,'” recalled Morrow.
Morrow said the message was heartfelt in the moment, but he was honest about what he felt right after sending it.
“I put the phone down. ‘F*** this n****.'
Like, for real, bro. No, but he's going to see and going to say something.
I love, you know, that’s my brother for life. But in that moment, I was like, ‘Nah.'”
He also said he texted Russell Westbrook after talking to Durant, and Westbrook’s response showed the kind of edge that defined him.
Durant’s move came in an essay called “My Next Chapter,” where he said leaving was necessary so he could get out of his comfort zone and keep growing as a person. The gamble paid off immediately for him: he won back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs with the Warriors.
For Oklahoma City, the wait was much longer. The Thunder did not get back to the conference finals after Durant left until they won the championship in 2025.
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