Kevin Durant next in line for major OKC honor after Westbrook

After Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant Set to Get Major OKC Honor, Says Insider

Earlier this November, OKC Thunder general manager Sam Presti surprised Russell Westbrook during the franchise's Day One Luncheon.

Presti announced that the Thunder will retire Westbrook's jersey No. 0 on Feb. 7, 2027, when the team faces the defending champions, the New York Knicks.

It is a well-deserved honor for Westbrook as he is one of the NBA legends that helped establish the Thunder's position in the league before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's era.

However, another notable name comes to mind when you talk about OKC, and that's Kevin Durant.

When KD and Russ played together in OKC, Durant was the primary star.

Having that in mind, many are wondering if the Thunder will retire Durant's jersey No. 35.

"I do think it is coming," sports columnist Berry Tramel said in a recent airing of SiriusXM NBA Radio.

"I think there'll have to be an ownership change."

"But I think it'll have to be after that."

"I think there's too much bitterness … from both sides."

"It's still not a great situation…"

"The Thunder and Oklahoma City did not make Kevin Durant, he helped make the Thunder."

The bitterness Tramel mentioned stems from when Durant left the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

It was a move that shocked many.

In that same year, it was the Warriors who eliminated the Thunder from the playoffs, denying them an opportunity to compete for a title against LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Thunder's collapse from a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals contributed to the context around Durant's free-agency decision, as he moved to Golden State to chase after the NBA championship he so desperately wanted.

This created a friction between KD and OKC as a whole.

However, as the saying goes, time heals all wounds.

Westbrook and Durant have publicly expressed mutual respect, and both stars have publicly acknowledged their respect for each other.

Having said that, it's only a matter of time until the Thunder franchise will gladly accept KD back into OKC's culture.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the OKC Thunder were retiring the jersey of franchise legend Russell Westbrook.

His No. 0 will hang in the rafters alongside fellow Thunder legend Nick Collison for all eternity.

Of course, the ceremony on February 7th will raise the obvious question: who's next?

Though he's still playing, Kevin Durant may be the next Thunder alumnus deserving of the honor, and yes, it may ruffle a few feathers.

The Oklahoma City fanbase still has scars from the Slim Reaper's infamous betrayal.

After blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Durant made the controversial decision not only to leave OKC, but to join the very franchise that ousted them from the playoffs the year prior.

Of course, KD's sour end to his Oklahoma City tenure shouldn't overshadow his accomplishments while wearing the orange and blue.

Instead, they must be weighed side-by-side to determine if his jersey deserves to be hung up alongside his former teammate's.

While with the Thunder organization, Durant won four scoring titles, an MVP award, and led them to four Western Conference Finals appearances and, in 2012, their first-ever NBA Finals.

He was named an All-Star in all seven of his seasons in Bricktown as well.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to argue that his jersey doesn't deserve to be retired based on his accomplishments alone.

Therefore, a decision to ignore his Thunder resume would stem solely from the decade-old grudge the city has held against their former superstar.

The reality is there may not be an obvious solution to the dilemma.

While the franchise surely has some deliberation to do, much of the fanbase will be left dissatisfied regardless of where management lands on this particular issue.

If Durant's jersey is retired, there will be many who remember his decision to abandon the franchise that drafted him, all but forcing them into a long-term rebuild.

However, if they choose to overlook him, there will be many who acknowledge that the move was done out of spite, not logic, thus diluting the integrity of the entire jersey retirement process.

With this in mind, the Thunder organization will eventually have an important decision on their hands, one that may not have a correct answer.

That being said, GM Sam Presti has yet to steer the organization in the wrong direction.

After Russell Westbrook shared how much the team and the city meant to him throughout his career, Presti's decision to retire Westbrook's jersey set a precedent.

"I came out (in Oklahoma City) by myself," Westbrook said.

"Trying to figure out life at 19 and trying to understand what's like to grow into a young man…"

"Being able to come here…"

Durant's own connection to community runs deep, though in a different way.

In 2018, NBA star Kevin Durant donated $10 million to establish a college-preparatory center in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, his hometown.

The Durant Center was established through a partnership between Durant, Prince George's County Public Schools and College Track, an after-school program that helps underserved students prepare for college.

The Washington Post reported that the center would be the first of three College Track centers planned for the Washington, D.C., area.

In a 2018 article for Andscape, Durant shared his experience of growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood, where 80 percent of the Black population lived in poverty.

He recalled the poverty, crime and police brutality in his community, while basketball provided an escape.