Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were once best friends on the same team together. Of course, then there was a time when they absolutely hated each other. And then, a few years back, all of a sudden they seemed to be friends again. Sure, there was the occasional trash talk during games. However, it seemed far friendlier than ever before.
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Today, you could genuinely call the two players friends. And so, when Kevin Durant was recently asked about all the criticism Westbrook, it is no surprise that he defended his guy.
No, what was a massive surprise, was what Chris Paul had to say on the matter. Not only was his defense of Russell Westbrook a bit out of nowhere, but what he said next…well, let’s just say that nobody would have ever expected it.
What did Kevin Durant and Chris Paul have to say about Russell Westbrook?
Recently, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams was asked about Russell Westbrook, where he said that there is not an MVP in the history of the NBA that gets as much criticism as Russell Westbrook. And as you can probably guess, Kevin Durant was asked to comment on that. However, what you wouldn’t guess, is what Chris Paul chimed in to say. Take a look below.
Kevin Durant: “When (Russell Westbrook is) retired, people are really gonna tell the truth about how they feel about his game”
Chris Paul: “I feel like the only people to do that are the people who don’t know basketball. They don’t know what it’s like to compete. I know (Russell Westbrook) as one of my closest friends. So, people that do that, talk crazy, probably wish they could be in that situation.”
Kevin Durant and Chris Paul on criticism of Russell Westbrook 💯
KD: “When he’s retired, people are gonna really tell the truth about how they feel about his game.”
CP: “I feel like the only people to do that are the people who don’t know basketball.”pic.twitter.com/vYb1mSNAaT
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) April 22, 2023
It is admirable of Chris Paul to appreciate his opponent this way. Especially considering the competitor that he is, and considering that this series isn’t there. On top of that, given his pariah-esque figure within the NBA community, things only get more surprising. However, as it turns out not only do the two actually like each other, they are very close friends too. Go figure.
How did Russell Westbrook during game 3 of this series?
Despite the Clippers’ loss in game 3, it was a match where there was arguably no better performer than Russell Westbrook. After all, the man absolutely exploded for a stellar 37 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and just 4 turnovers. Further, he shot a flaming hot 17 of 29 from the field (58.6%), and a very efficient 3 of 6 from deep.
