Kevin Durant reflected on his playing days with Russell Westbrook for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a social media post after announcing his retirement from the NBA.
Durant shared that he once had a conversation with then-assistant coach Maurice Cheeks about whether working out before or after practice was harder. After Cheeks sided with Westbrook’s typical routine of a workout before practice, KD revealed he decided to do the same.
“I only asked cuz by time I would get to the gym, Russ was already done in the morning and I usually got mine in after practice,” he wrote. “Mo like, ‘Coming in before practice is probably harder’ …since then, it’s been my routine.”
KD also addressed misconceptions about Westbrook’s on-court persona, while also acknowledging how his mentality and approach was an inspiration to him, among others.
“A lot of people looked at the emotions on the court and thought Russ was loud. Nah. To me, he was quiet and methodical,” Durant wrote. “He lead by example and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom. It was inspiring as his teammate and everywhere I went, I seen it inspire people from all walks of life, crazy thing is, he didn’t say much, he just showed up.”
I remember asking assistant coach Mo Cheeks, what’s harder to do? Workout after practice or before?? I only asked cuz by time I would get to the gym, Russ was already done in the morning and I usually got mine in after practice. Mo like, “coming in before practice is probably…
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 13, 2026
Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons on Wednesday in a video narrated by Michael B. Jordan.
Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end.
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) August 12, 2026
You had to be there. And now it’s over. pic.twitter.com/6YoOW8WyIV
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