- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Kevin Durant’s defection forcing Russell Westbrook to decide OKC future now
- Updated: July 25, 2016
5:58 PM ET
A few days before Kevin Durant left for the Hamptons, he ate dinner at BOA Steakhouse in Los Angeles with Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison. Durant’s two longest tenured teammates were making their pitch, trying to convince the Oklahoma City Thunder’s cornerstone player to come back, if only for one more year.
Westbrook didn’t hold back. The conversation reflected their relationship: full of depth, emotions, respect, admiration and appreciation.
On the morning of July 4, Durant picked Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, leaving Westbrook behind.
Westbrook has remained silent since. Interview requests have been turned away. There have been no tweets, Snapchats or Instagrams on the subject, whether about his future or his team. There was some chatter from his youth camp a couple weeks ago that he told campers he’d be back next season, but that’s mostly hearsay. As speculation has grown around the league about a possible Westbrook trade, some have interpreted his silence as evidence that he’s unwilling to commit long-term to the Thunder and is ready to move on to another chapter.
But in actuality, Westbrook has been forced into his free agency a year earlier than expected. Effectively, he’s making his 2017 decision now. He’s either in with the Thunder, or he tells them he’s not, and they trade him.
Westbrook is taking time to himself not just to figure out his next steps, but also to lick his own wounds. Reports have come out suggesting Westbrook’s style of play influenced Durant to leave, though Durant publicly denied that in Las Vegas recently. The two have not spoken since Durant’s decision. Those close to Westbrook say he’s both angry and hurt not only by Durant’s decision to leave but also because Durant didn’t even call to tell him personally. Westbrook wasn’t prepared to be in this position because three weeks ago, like everyone else, he thought Durant was coming back. And he had to learn the hard way he wasn’t.
Westbrook has remained mum, but he and the Thunder have been in communication often since Durant’s departure. Plenty want to hear from Westbrook, but he isn’t going to play out his free agency in the public eye. There won’t be any “I’ll make that decision when the time comes” mediaspeak. …
continue reading in source espn.go.com
