Kevin Durant’s first reaction to Russell Westbrook’s retirement news was the same kind of blunt disbelief plenty of NBA fans felt when the announcement hit.
“I'm like, ‘what the f***?' I looked at Shams (Charania's) tweets, you've always got to go to Shams' tweets. It was shocking,” Durant said, per Boardroom on X, formerly Twitter.
Durant said the moment landed hard because of how long he and Westbrook were around each other during their Oklahoma City Thunder years.
“It just hit me, man, because it's just like that's one of the first dudes you come in with and you was around every day to finally step out of this sh*t… It surprised me,” he continued.
Westbrook’s retirement after 18 seasons sent a jolt through the league, and Durant was among the stars who publicly saluted him after the news broke. The two spent nearly a decade together in Oklahoma City and piled up plenty of memorable moments in that stretch.
Their relationship wasn’t always smooth after Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in 2016, but the two have since mostly repaired things and have long shown clear mutual respect for each other.
Westbrook earned plenty of praise over the years for the way he played: intense, fearless, and impossible to ignore. He never got the championship he chased, but he still left a mark on every stop, including the Rockets.
For Durant, the focus now shifts back to Houston, where he’s trying to help push the Rockets into true championship contender territory after their frustrating first-round playoff exit this past season.
In Other News...
Thunder Core Gets A Reality Check In New NBA Lineup Ranking
The leagues long view has a way of poking at even the most stable young contenders, and Oklahoma Citys projected future is no exception. In a fresh ranking of the NBAs top starting lineups for the 2026-27 season, the Thunder are part of a short list that also includes the Timberwolves, Knicks, Spurs and 76ers, a reminder that this core is already being measured against some of the deepest talent pools in the sport. These are only projections, of course, but they still say plenty about how the national conversation views the next wave of contenders.
Minnesotas place in that discussion got a boost with Jonathan Kuminga signing a two-year deal there, giving the Timberwolves another piece to weigh in their projected five. For Oklahoma City, the takeaway is less about one ranking and more about the standard it will be chasing as this group matures. The Thunder are still in the conversation among the NBAs most intriguing starting lineups, but the fact that they are being stacked up this early against other loaded teams only raises the pressure on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durants Reaction To Russell Westbrooks Retirement Will Hit Thunder Fans
Russell Westbrooks retirement closed the book on one of the defining careers of the modern NBA, and it naturally brought a reaction from Kevin Durant, his former Thunder teammate and one of the biggest figures from that era. Durant spoke about Westbrooks decision in an interview and made clear he respected the path Westbrook carved across 18 seasons, a run that included an MVP award and a long list of All-Star appearances.
For Thunder fans, the emotional layer goes beyond the rsum. Westbrook and Durant were once at the center of everything in Oklahoma City, and even now, their overlapping legacies still carry real weight for the franchises history. Westbrook had other opportunities on the table before stepping away, which makes the timing of his decision even more striking, and Durants response only adds to the sense that this is a farewell that will linger around the Thunder for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Rival's Win-Now Offseason Created A Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Minnesota spent the offseason trying to accelerate its climb, reshaping the roster around Anthony Edwards with two moves aimed squarely at the present. The Timberwolves brought in LaMelo Ball and added Jonathan Kuminga, a pair of swings that signal a clear win-now push and give the group more talent on paper than it had before.
For Oklahoma City, the bigger takeaway is that Minnesota still has something to prove before it can be grouped with the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference. Balls health record and playoff background remain real questions, and Kuminga has yet to show he can be counted on as a steady starter, which leaves the Wolves with more buzz than certainty for now. [Read more 🡒]