ESPN reporter clarifies Kevin Durant comments to Russell Westbrook
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An ESPN reporter has clarified comments he made earlier this week saying Kevin Durant told ex-Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook he was going to re-sign with the team this off-season.
“I misspoke in saying that Durant specifically told Westbrook he was coming back,” ESPN reporter Royce Young wrote on Wednesday.
Durant left Oklahoma City to sign with the Golden State Warriors during free agency.
Westbrook was reportedly hurt by the fact he was not informed by Durant about his decision before it was made.
Here’s what Young said on ESPN’s True Hoop podcast:
Three weeks ago, Kevin Durant’s sitting there at dinner, telling him “Hey, I’m coming back, man. Don’t worry about it.” And now, Russell Westbrook has been kind of thrown into this in having to decide his future a summer earlier than expected.
Kevin Durant, more so than even that, was telling people, “Hey, yeah, I mean I’m coming back.” Like I said in there, a week before Kevin Durant sat down in the Hamptons, he was in Oklahoma City ready to make an offer on a multi-million-dollar house. So, the guy was pretty serious about coming back, and then things turned rather quickly for him to leave. And there’s no doubt that the organization felt a little bit burned by this.
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Durant’s decision to join the Warriors means that the franchise will now have four players that made one of the All-NBA teams last season, along with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
Westbrook has one year remaining on his contract with the Thunder.
