There was bound to be an outpouring of emotion when Russell Westbrook returned to Oklahoma City on Friday for the first time since he got traded to the Houston Rockets.
After all, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound point guard reached the Finals in 2012, was named All-Star eight times, became All-Star Most Valuable Player twice, took home regular season MVP in 2017, and averaged a triple-double in three as a member and eventually the emphatic leader of the Thunder.
The Brodie led the Rockets with 34 points and five assists on 53.8 percent shooting, but OKC was more efficient from the field overall (49.4% to Houston's 38.2%) and won, 113-92. The blowout was just a footnote to Westbook's Oklahoma comeback, though:
Dressed to reciprocate love
Russ made sure that he entered his old arena in trademark style — specifically a simple black ensemble with his statistics and awards as Thunder player, as well as the phrase "Zero Regrets" written all over it. The same details were also present in his special OKC-themed Jordan Why Not? Zer0.3.
As for the statement on his shirt, Westbrook explained in an interview with ESPN, "I don't regret one thing being here in Oklahoma City. I don't regret signing back. I don't regret staying here. I don't regret anything that I did here. I feel like I left everything out on the floor every single night and did what I could for the city."
The ultimate Thunder tribute
The organization was simply the definition of classy in Westbrook's return, starting with a tribute video that highlighted his significant contributions on and off the court. From home fans chanting "MVP!" to Thunder employees exchanging pleasantries with Russ, it didn't feel like he was actually playing for the other team.
Teammate James Harden, who also began his career there, said, "That was dope. Obviously, we got smacked, but it was a dope environment. Oklahoma City, as usual, showed mad love to Russell and everything he's done for those 11 years he was here. Obviously, an unbelievable fan base, and it was just a beautiful thing to see."
KD-Perk Twitter beef
Here's a couple of former comrades who both got too much time on their hands and can't keep their thoughts to themselves. Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins just had to steal the spotlight from Russ with a senseless debate on social media. Why can't those two be more like Paul George?
"Russell means way more than I did in Oklahoma, and I got a standing ovation. I expect nonstop cheering, nonstop appreciation for what he did," George said. "Not only was he an amazing basketball player for them, he embraced their community. I'm guessing the cheering will be off the radar, as if it isn't Loud City already."
Post-Christmas CP3 nutmeg
Chris Paul, who was the centerpiece of the Westbrook deal, ended up treating the match against the Rockets as his personal revenge. Aside from being one of the five players to score 15 for the Thunder (18 markers, five assists, four steals), the Point God was also responsible for the best play of the entire NBA game day:
"Our first nationally televised game and Russ being back so we knew that the crowd — I mean the crowd is always great, but we knew it was going to be a different energy tonight with Russ' first game back here. You've got to get excited during the player intros," explained Paul, who showed Brodie some love.
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