A few days before Kevin Durant left for the Hamptons, he ate dinner at BOA Steakhouse in Los Angeles with Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison. Durant's two longest tenured teammates were making their pitch, trying to convince the Oklahoma City Thunder's cornerstone player to come back, if only for one more year.
Westbrook didn't hold back. The conversation reflected their relationship: full of depth, emotions, respect, admiration and appreciation.
On the morning of July 4, Durant picked Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, leaving Westbrook behind.