yardbarker
Kevin Durant never anticipated that Russell Westbrook's career was winding down before Westbrook made the surprising decision to retire this offseason.
In August, Westbrook declared he was stepping away from the NBA after nearly two decades in the league.
The day after the announcement, Durant shared a heartfelt tribute to honor his former teammate.
During a Friday press conference in Macao, ahead of the Houston Rockets' international preseason matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, Durant was questioned about Westbrook's retirement.
"I was a little sad," Durant said. "I still thought Russ had 5 or 6 more years left. He's an athletic body that can still impact the game positively. But sometimes people are at that point where they want to step away and do something different. Congrats to him on an iconic career. I know the next phase of his life, he's going to put the same amount of work into it, just like he did in basketball."
In his final season with the Sacramento Kings, Westbrook still appeared to be a productive player, averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists over 64 games.
Yet his influence on winning in the later years of his career has been questionable, to put it mildly.
The 2016-17 NBA MVP likely could have stretched his career a few more seasons, but those would have probably been with other rebuilding teams aiming to sell his jerseys and fill seats.
Westbrook still seemed to be in playing shape during a recent vacation with fellow retiree Chris Paul.
However, picturing him competing for another five or six years would likely not have been a pleasant image.
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Originally reported by yardbarker.