While Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant had the opportunities throughout his career to join the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency or via trade, two of his former teammates in James Harden and Russell Westbrook actually did. Durant and Harden’s time with the Oklahoma City Thunder as well as the Brooklyn Nets didn’t end as well as everyone would’ve liked, but as we know, time heals all.
Durant and the Suns visited Los Angeles to take on the Clippers for the first time this season, and it also marked the first time Durant played against Harden since he joined his new team in November.
Durant was his usual self out on the court, dominating his opposing matchups while having a good time joking around with guys on both teams. He finished with 30 points and seven rebounds on 10-of-17 shooting, but his Suns ultimately lost by 27 to the Clippers, 138-111.
James Harden finished with a 19-point, 10-assist double-double, his ninth of the season and fifth in the last six games. Russell Westbrook came off the Clippers’ bench, finishing with nine points, seven assists, and two steals.
Kevin Durant on James Harden’s Nets trade request
After the contest, Durant spoke about former teammates from Harden to Russell Westbrook, where he ultimately expressed his feelings regarding Harden’s abrupt trade request from the Nets after just 16 games played together with Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“No doubt that I was pissed about the situation,” Kevin Durant said about James Harden’s trade request. “I’m sure he was pissed about having to move teams again, but when the smoke clears, you realize that’s somebody you came into the league with, somebody I really, really love as a brother.”
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden were all drafted in the top four one year after another starting in 2007. It’s no surprise then that the trio who helped the Thunder make an NBA Finals still have love for one another.
“I want the best for him as an individual,” Durant added to ClutchPoints postgame. “I want him to play bad when we play bad when we play against him, but for the most part, I want what’s best for him and his family going forward.
“As much as it affected our team, I still had to look past that and just move forward and realize we still had some solid moments together and I just for the best for everybody in that situation.”
It takes a lot of maturity and growing up to say the things that Durant said after the way the Nets stint ended. Although the trio of himself, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving played just 16 games together across two seasons, it ultimately didn’t work out with a number of off-court as well as on-court distractions.
James Harden and the LA Clippers will now host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, while Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns will stay in Los Angeles until they face the Lakers on Thursday night.
