Kevin Durant didn’t hide his feelings about Russell Westbrook’s retirement. When asked Thursday in Macau, Durant said he was caught off guard by the news and still believes his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate had plenty left in the tank.
“I was a little sad,” Durant said, via Fullcourtpass. “I still thought Russ had five or six more years left.
He’s an athletic body that can still impact the game positively. But sometimes people at that point where they just want to step away and do something different.
So congrats to him on an iconic career. I know the next phase of his life he’s gonna put the same amout of work into just like he did in basketball.”
Westbrook announced his retirement on Aug. 12 after 18 seasons, and Durant’s reaction fits the tone around the former MVP’s exit: respect, surprise, and a little disbelief. Westbrook was 37 and had just turned in a solid year with the Sacramento Kings, averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.2 blocks per game in 2025-26.
He wasn’t just filling space, either. Westbrook began the season expected to back up Dennis Schroder, then grabbed the starting job quickly and held it the rest of the way. By the end of the year, he was one of the brighter spots on a Kings team that wanted him back.
Sacramento wasn’t alone. The Washington Wizards also wanted another run with Westbrook after his 2020-21 season there, when he helped lead them to the playoffs - still their only postseason appearance in the last eight seasons.
But Westbrook passed on both options. He reportedly wasn’t sold on Washington’s two-year offer and/or the role, and a reduced job behind No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr. in Sacramento didn’t appeal to him.
With nothing else on the table, Westbrook walked away.
Durant has already paid tribute to him on X, and the connection between the two runs deep. Durant went No. 2 overall to the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA Draft, then Westbrook followed a year later at No.
- Soon after, the franchise moved and became the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the two stars spent eight seasons together and powered multiple deep playoff runs.
They never won a title together, and Durant’s 2016 move to the Golden State Warriors left plenty of tension behind. But that chapter has cooled. Westbrook said in 2023 that there was no beef, and things have been cordial for a while now.
Durant had already said he was surprised by Westbrook’s decision to retire and wanted to see what came next. Now that next phase is taking shape: Westbrook is a co-founder and chief strategy officer of Project B, a basketball league set to launch in 2027 with games in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Durant, meanwhile, is still very much in the game. He’s heading into his 19th NBA season, and he looked the part Friday with 15 points, two assists and one block in the Rockets’ 135-117 win over the Mavericks. After making the All-Star team and earning All-NBA Second Team honors in 2026, he doesn’t sound like he’s slowing down anytime soon.
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The problem is that the expectations around him are already moving faster than the Kings likely want. Some around the league are talking about Simmons as if he is ready to reclaim an elite level immediately, which only sharpens the pressure on a player who has yet to play a game for Sacramento. The Kings would prefer a slower ramp-up and a more careful return, with an eye on both his physical condition and where he is mentally after so much time under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Have Heard This Story Before And Its Concerning Again
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Scott Perry pushed back on that framing, saying the speech was meant to motivate and inspire the group rather than tear it down. Still, the public disagreement has only added to the sense that not everything is perfectly settled behind the scenes, especially with Kings insider James Ham pointing to ongoing internal issues connected to why some players have missed preseason action. The details there remain unconfirmed, but it is another reminder that Sacramento is once again trying to keep the focus on basketball while the off-court noise lingers in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Head To Golden State With Two Big Roles Suddenly In Focus
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The bigger spotlight is on the frontcourt rotation and the questions it raises for the starting group. DeAndre Hunter is being pushed by Precious Achiuwa, while Ben Simmons is part of the same conversation as the Kings sort through a competition that could shape how they open the regular season. Sacramento still has plenty to learn in preseason, but this trip to Golden State should offer a better sense of which combinations the staff trusts most. [Read more 🡒]