After 522 days away from the court, Kevin Durant made his long-awaited debut as a Brooklyn Nets player. The Nets took on the Washington Wizards in a pre-season game. Durant looked like his old self and caused havoc on the floor when he played. But before the game, he had a nice interaction with his former teammate Russell Westbrook.

It was a great sight to see, especially given their relationship in the past. Durant and Westbrook played together in Oklahoma City for eight years. Together, they made the NBA Finals in 2012 and went to several Western Conference Finals. However, the two had problems playing together.

Durant was unhappy with Westbrook holding onto the ball as the primary ball-handler. In his mind, Durant was looking to have more of the ball in his hands. Additionally, continuous disappointment in the playoffs led to Durant deciding to leave. However, reports emerged that he had told Russell Westbrook that he would be returning to OKC and continue to play with him.

But in the 11th hour, Durant changed his mind and decided to join the Golden State Warriors in free agency. His move was criticized as Durant and OKC blew a lead against the Warriors in the conference finals. Westbrook was very unhappy with Durant and felt betrayed by his decision to leave.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s relationship

What followed was a period of great turmoil between the two players. Durant and Westbrook would often take subliminal shots at each other throughout. Since Durant left OKC, he won two NBA Championships with the Golden State Warriors and two Finals MVP. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook won a league MVP in 2017, and became renowned for averaging a triple-double every game in the season.

But over the years, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have put aside their differences and recovered their friendships. The two have been using kind words together when speaking about each other and have been observed sharing warm moments together during All-Star games against each other.

It will be interesting to see how Durant and Westbrook perform for their new teams. Durant will be playing his first season with the Brooklyn Nets, and Westbrook will play for the Washington Wizards.

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