“Kevin Durant is a basketball God.… James Harden is a basketball genius & Russell Westbrook is a basketball warrior" - OKC Thunder GM pays due credit to their old super team
In his recent exit interview, OKC Thunder General Manager Sam Presti heaped praise on the key members of their 2012 super team.
Although they have all parted ways, there is little doubt that they could have eventually won a championship if they stayed together. Speaking about the trio, Sam Presti said:
"Kevin Durant is a basketball God.... You know James Harden is a basketball genius and Russell Westbrook is a basketball warrior."
Sam Presti: “Kevin Durant is a basketball God… James Harden is a basketball genius & Russell Westbrook is a basketball warrior.” https://t.co/2sZM6y5tKw
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were the pillars of the OKC Thunder team that went to the 2012 NBA Finals. The team was the brainchild of GM Sam Presti.
Contrary to their situation in 2012, the Thunder are currently struggling to even reach the playoffs. However, they are one of the teams to look out for in the future. They have the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort, who are all extremely talented.
Many have grown impatient with the OKC Thunder's inability to get results. Presti is not concerned, stating that they are not trying to compete with their past.
Kevin Durant allows himself to reflect on his OKC days after the win vs. Thunder.
"You think about your foundation, where you built yourself up as a pro and this was definitely the spot for me...." https://t.co/p742iFOQG8
Kevin Durant was the first of the trio to join the Thunder and the franchise added Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the following years. This definitely worked out great for them, as the youngsters wreaked havoc.
All three turned out to be MVPs and made names for themselves in the league. While Presti has not been able to replicate the same magic since then, they have a lot of draft picks and assets they can count on.
With the help of these assets, Presti could lure a big free agent and thereby make the OKC Thunder a championship-contender.
How good were the OKC Thunder with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden?
After a shift from Seattle to OKC, the Thunder first played during the 2008-09 season. They had a lackluster year, but from thereon, they were the team to watch out for in the West. In the 2009-10 season, they made their first playoff run but lost to the eventual champions, the LA Lakers, in the first round.
They reached the Conference Finals in the 2010-11 season, but once again fell short to the eventual champions, the Dallas Mavericks. The 2011-12 season was one of the best campaigns for the franchise as they managed to reach the finals.
They overcame the likes of the Dallas Mavericks, the LA Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs in the West. However, they then met the LeBron James led Miami Heat in the Finals and fell short in five games.
James Harden won sixth man of the year honors, but after the end of the season was traded to the Houston Rockets. With him gone, the original OKC Thunder super team was done.
Thereafter, it was Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant who led the team on multiple Conference Finals trips.
James Harden was so fun to watch in OKC https://t.co/2u9NW8uJY9
Reports suggested that the franchise did not give Harden the deal that he wanted, which is why he was moved to the Houston Rockets. Although he became one of the league's most lethal scorers, Harden remains without a championship.
Durant eventually left to go to the Golden State Warriors and won two rings there. Russell Westbrook has since played for the Rockets, the Washington Wizards and the Lakers, but has yet to win a championship.