One of the running subplots of this NBA postseason — this NBA season, maybe? — has been the conflict, real or imagined, between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for the soul of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder's three games so far in the Western Conference Finals have only stoked the public debate over the two: Durant has been relatively quiet, but Westbrook went from being benched by Thunder coach Scott Brooks in Game 2 and sitting for the entire fourth quarter of that victory to sparking a Thunder rally in a Game 3 loss.
Thunder Veteran: ‘Russell Westbrook Thinks He’s Better Than Kevin Durant’
And now there’s a Thunder veteran fueling the discussion, too. And it’s in the New York Daily News (via CBS Sports):
TV cameras caught Westbrook yelling at Brooks when he was yanked from the game, offering incontrovertible proof that he didn’t like his coach’s decision. What undoubtedly fueled Westbrook’s fiery response is a sense of entitlement. As one Thunder veteran said, privately, “He thinks he’s better than Kevin Durant.“Yeah, that’s going to keep the gears of controversy churning.
The immediate question: who's telling the Daily News, a national paper, something the Thunder would certainly prefer to have kept quiet? Well, there are six consequential Thunder players over the age of 25: Nick Collison, Royal Ivey, Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed, Nate Robinson, and Thabo Sefolosha. (Sorry, Robert Vaden.) Of those, Perkins, Mohammed, Robinson, and Ivey all joined the team this year, and would presumably not be as tight-lipped as Thunder stalwarts Collison and Sefolosha. Perkins is bracingly honest at times; Robinson pops off all the time; Ivey and Mohammed are a little quieter.
And of those players, only Mohammed and Robinson have played in New York; theoretically, that would give them ample opportunity to build a relationship with Mitch Lawrence, the Daily News writer who included the quote.
If the “veteran” refers to tenure in Oklahoma City rather than NBA service, the pool of possible speakers gets much bigger: could it be Serge Ibaka talking? James Harden? Eric Maynor? Sefolosha and Collison, of course, would be the first two names to come to mind.
As for the fallout? Expect the Thunder to keep their public focus on the Mavericks, and the 2-1 series deficit. This is a team that values message management, and it wouldn't be a shock if the "Thunder veteran" with loose lips is cast off Oklahoma City's ship at the next possible chance.
See More:
