Kevin Durant admits he struggled to accept Russell Westbrook's retirement

Back in the day, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were among the best partnerships in the league. It was a legendary duo that helped the Oklahoma City Thunder become perennial contenders with them as the superstars. Unfortunately, that came to an end when Kevin Durant made a big decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

It was a sad ending to one of the best duos in recent NBA history. That propelled Westbrook to become a bigger star, winning the MVP in 2017. Unfortunately, Westbrook ended up becoming an NBA journeyman in the later part of his career, eventually retiring in 2026.

Kevin Durant gets taken aback by Russell Westbrook's retirement

Durant's departure from OKC was a sad one because everyone thought he and Westbrook would stay together and win a championship. Unfortunately, only Durant won a title, and those two rings are disputed by a lot of people for being an easy way out for him.

Despite the animosity that stemmed from his exit, it seems that Durant and Westbrook are good friends. In fact, Westbrook is still quite friendly with Durant's mother, Wanda. It is a sad ending for one of this generation's best players, but it seems he made the right decision for him in the long-term future by stepping away on his terms.

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For Durant, this is a bit of a reality check because he knows he is also getting old. He has been in the NBA since 2007, and he is quickly approaching the two-decade anniversary. It seems he is not stepping away anytime soon, but the Westbrook retirement is huge for him.

"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. You know what I’m saying? It’s just like a lot of guys that have been younger than me or drafted after me have retired, but I wasn’t as close to them as I was to Russell," Durant said about Westbrook's retirement on Boardroom Talks.

Durant and his generation are getting older, which means there will come a time when he has to retire from the sport. This was a blow to that, but it seems he is just taking it step by step, as he wants to keep playing. One thing that can never be faulted about Durant is his love for basketball. Even with Westbrook's retirement, Durant will still keep going.

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