When they played together for the Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook seemed like they had a great relationship off the court. They traveled together, they joked around with each other, and they were great teammates. However, when Durant left the Thunder with barely a word to Westbrook, it shattered the relationship.
The two men played together once again at the NBA All-Star game. At the end of the first quarter, Russell Westbrook made his way into the game. After a quick pass from Russell to Kevin, the Golden State Warriors' star tossed up an alley-oop pass that Westbrook slammed home.
Kevin Durant alley-oop to Russell Westbrook
It was a huge moment for fans and players alike. When Kevin Durant tossed up the alley-oop pass and Westbrook slammed it home, the bench went nuts. The fans all started cheering. Even NBA Hall of Fame star Reggie Miller began to sing "Kumbaya."
However, while it was huge for everyone in attendance, it really didn't mean much to the two players who played together for the last eight years. The two men barely spoke before, during, or after the game, and it was just another NBA All-Star game for the former teammates.
Russell Westbrook calls Kevin Durant pass 'just basketball'
After the game, Russell Westbrook sat before the press and answered questions. Reporters wanted him to talk about how special it was to get the Kevin alley-oop.
Many were looking for a feel-good story about the two former teammates finally patching their differences.
Russell didn't give them anything except some sound bites. He said that it wasn't special -- it was just two guys playing basketball. A reporter asked if there were high fives between the players after the game and Westbrook simply asked if anyone saw a high five.
No one did and Russell just smiled and told reporters that he would see them in the second half of the season.
Kevin Durant relationship with Russell Westbrook remains a strong story
The Oklahoma City Thunder were at one time one of the best teams in the NBA. When Kevin Durant left the team, it hurt because he left them without anything to replace him in their lineup.
They are 32-25 and sit in seventh place in the Western Conference.
Now with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin took a little while to fit in and the Warriors are in first place with a 47-9 record but don't look as dominant as they did in 2016. Meanwhile, Russell has really broken out and, despite his team's struggles, is the only player since Oscar Robinson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double over a season -- although he still has half a season to go.
Kevin Durant's relationship with Russell Westbrook is far from healed and the two men are fighting to take their teams to the next level. With that said, the NBA All-Star game gave the two former teammates a chance to get on the same page for at least a few minutes. Now, it is time to get back to the real NBA season.
