Hours before Kevin Durant's first return to Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook spoke as extensively about his former teammate as he has in months.
"Obviously, us playing here, we grew up here together," Westbrook said before Saturday night's game. "Since then, his decision has been made about what's best for him and his future, and I made the decision that was best for mine, and that's just how it's been."
Durant and Westbrook have yet to speak since Durant announced his decision to sign with the Warriors.
Asked how that could be with a player he often referred to as his "brother," Westbrook said that's just how it is.
"Sometimes it happens like that," Westbrook said. "There's nothing I can say about it. Sometimes that's how things go."
Westbrook and Durant were teammates for eight seasons.
"Hurt? I mean, I'm fine. I'm fine. Honestly. Move forward," he said. "Things happen in life, man, and as a man, you've got to move forward. I have a great group of guys here that I love like my brothers. There's been many-a-teammates I've had here before that left me, and they're still my brothers. That I still talk to and I don't talk to. Not just Kevin. There's many guys that have come in and out of Oklahoma City that I've gained a relationship with that maybe you guys don't know about, but I think obviously, with me and Kevin, it's a little bigger stage. It happens."