Russell Westbrook is reportedly ticked off at former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant for jumping ship and signing with the rival Golden State Warriors.
Durant says his reasons for doing so were simple, and, contrary to some reports, not at all related to Westbrook's ball-dominant playing style.
"No, no it wasn't," Durant told reporters Monday at a Team USA practice in Las Vegas. "All these reports are gonna come out, I can't really control it. But I just made a decision based on where I wanted to go, man. It was simple as that. We can think about all the reasons and what factored in, but it was just simple: that's where I wanted to play basketball."
There was also some speculation that Westbrook's uncertain future in Oklahoma City (he'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season) may have played a part in Durant's move, but Durant says the subject never came up during their discussions in the lead-up to free agency.
"We didn't talk about that," he said. "We didn't really talk about anything at all. I wish him nothing but the best. I can't really say anything besides that."
Durant has acknowledged that his relationship with Westbrook won't ever be the same, and while he recently said Westbrook respected his decision, he admitted Monday that the two haven't had much of a chance to talk since he made his league-shattering announcement on July 4.
"Not really, not in depth," he said. "But I'm sure that'll happen at some point."
