The announcement of Kevin Durant‘s former teammate Russell Westbrook’s retirement was one of the biggest news stories of this summer. After 18 years in the NBA, Westbrook decided it was time to hang up and move on to a different chapter. The Sacramento Kings were his final team.
Durant and Westbrook used to be co-stars during their time with the Oklahoma City Thunder. For eight seasons, they served as the Superman and Batman of the franchise. They led the team to the 2012 NBA Finals and made several postseason appearances until their breakup in 2016.
When Westbrook announced his retirement, the Houston Rockets star was one of the players who penned an emotional tribute. KD dedicated a post to his close friend and former running mate online.
On Thursday’s video on Boardroom Talks, Kevin Durant told journalist Speedy Morman his thoughts on how he processed Westbrook’s retirement.
“It just hit me, man, because it’s just like that’s one of the first dudes you come in with, and you was around every day to finally step out of this. You know what I’m saying?” the two-time champion said. It’s just like a lot of guys that have been younger than me or drafted after me have retired, but I wasn’t as close to them as I was to Russell.”
Kevin Durant on Russell Westbrook retiring:
“It just hit me, man, because it’s just like that’s one of the first dudes you come in with and you was around every day to finally step out of this sh*t. You know what I’m saying? It’s just like a lot of guys that’s been younger than… pic.twitter.com/mi3IHfzasy
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) August 27, 2026
Durant said that he thinks Westbrook can still play in the NBA, which is why his decision was a surprise. Still, KD appreciated the time he spent with the nine-time All-Star and is looking forward to what he will do next now that his professional basketball career is over.
Kevin Durant Shares His Retirement Plans
Kevin Durant has not announced his retirement. However, he believes his time in the NBA will soon end. The 2026-27 season will be his 19th year in the league, and Durant has proven that he’s still among the elite talents.
Although he’s not yet retiring, KD has thought about what he wants to do after he ends his basketball career. According to the two-time Finals MVP, he wants to be involved in the USA Men’s Basketball Program.
“Every day, I think about new things that I want to do. One of my main goals is to be the GM of Team USA, for one of these Olympics one of these years,” he said.
Additionally, Durant said that he has a lot of ideas for what he wants to do when he retires. Being an executive of Team USA is just one of his ideas.