The story of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook shows two generational NBA talents that broke out as teammates but became better known as rivals. Durant and Westbrook spent years together building the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. Many successful years contending for a title had fans believing they’d be teammates forever.

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The duo broke up when Durant chose to sign with the Golden State Warriors in free agency. Westbrook became a bit outspoken about Durant now being an enemy when they played against each other. There have been plenty of noteworthy moments on and off the court. The following things in the Durant vs Westbrook rivalry will shine a brighter light on the ups and downs.

10 Kevin Durant Knew He Was Leaving OKC Heading Into Final Season

Most NBA fans were stunned that Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. However, Durant was planning a move from the start of his final season before entering free agency.

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The happiness of playing for the Thunder was wearing thin with most pundits believing Durant grew tired of Russell Westbrook’s playing style. Durant didn’t tell anyone in Oklahoma City, but he knew he wanted out before that season even started.

9 Kendrick Perkins Revealed They Didn't Talk Outside Of Basketball

There used to be a belief that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were close friends. This may have been true in the early years of their run together, but it wore out eventually. Former teammate Kendrick Perkins shared that the two sides barely talked outside of games when he was there.

The retired player turned broadcaster even claimed that Durant and Westbrook had relatives that hated each other. Perkins tried to get them to form a closer bond like his Boston Celtics team that won the 2008 NBA Championship, but that just wasn’t going to happen.

8 Both Had The Biggest Success In First Season Without Each Other

Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors and becoming an enemy of Russell Westbrook started the rivalry. The first season for both players without the other led to them achieving their biggest accomplishments in the NBA.

Westbrook won the MVP Award by averaging a triple double and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs. Durant fit perfectly into Golden State’s system and was the NBA Finals MVP after winning his first ring.

7 Avoided Each Other During First All-Star Weekend As Rivals

The NBA media focused on the drama between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heading into their first All-Star weekend as former teammates. Durant staying with a West team meant they’d be teammates when both made the All-Star squad.

Westbrook actually decided to practice on the opposite side of the floor the day before the All-Star Game when Durant was on the other side. The story added more drama between the two and depicted them as bitter rivals who hated each other.

6 All-Star Teammates Celebrated Them Bonding Via Alley-Oop

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook could not ignore each other when on the court at the same time in the 2017 All-Star Game. One noteworthy moment saw Westbrook throwing an alley-oop pass for Durant to deliver a slam dunk.

The rest of the Western Conference All-Stars celebrated the moment and embraced them right after when a timeout was called. Durant and Westbrook high-fived and smiled, but they tried to not play into this being a big story.

5 Kevin Durant Liked Anti-Westbrook Comments On Social Media

Various moments of Kevin Durant’s social media use have exposed him using burner accounts, which he admitted to. One moment came when a few fans saw that Durant liked a post on Instagram blaming Russell Westbrook for some of their previous teams’ failures.

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Durant has had a few moments accidentally liking or commenting on posts like this insulting others and boasting about himself. The talk around the NBA started to paint Durant more negatively when stories like this came out.

4 Russell Westbrook Talked The Most Trash When Losing First Game Against KD In OKC

The NBA saved the first trip of Kevin Durant visiting Oklahoma City Thunder as a road player for the primetime Saturday night lineup. Everyone watched as Thunder fans booed Durant and serenaded him with various negative chants.

The Golden State Warriors won the game rather easily, but Westbrook talked a lot of trash. One point saw Westbrook talking directly to Durant. Thunder fans went wild for the small bit of trash talk showing Westbrook wasn’t friendly with his former teammate.

3 Had Face To Face Confrontation As Opponents

Another wild moment to take place in a game with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant as opponents saw the Oklahoma City Thunder beating the Golden State Warriors this time. Westbrook once again was not shy about expressing his feelings to Durant.

A defensive stop by Westbrook on Durant led to Russell talking trash and causing a more physical interaction. Durant and Westbrook went forehead to forehead talking trash like two boxers about to fight before their teammates separated them.

2 Russell Westbrook Inspired Cupcake Disses

The term “cupcake” became popular for fans and opposing players looking to talk trash to Kevin Durant. This nickname went back further with certain Oklahoma City Thunder players using the term to describe the softer players in the league.

Russell Westbrook posted a photo of cupcakes at his Fourth of July party as his first public moment after Durant jumped ship to the Golden State Warriors. This led to Thunder fans chanting “cupcake” at Durant in an insulting way for years. Durant made his own signature shoe line have an exclusive cupcake release in a humorous response.

1 Kevin Durant Had Russell Westbrook's Back During Recent Criticism

The rivalry between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant appears to be completely over now with both men facing new challenges in their careers. Westbrook has become one of the most criticized players in the league due to his horrendous stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant has spoken out publicly in defense of Westbrook claiming the hate has gone too far and that it’s no longer about basketball. Most NBA players love the competitive nature of Westbrook and hate the current talk about him even if he annoyed them as a rival.