One of the greatest teams to never win an NBA championship was the Oklahoma City Thunder with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. While Harden was ultimately traded, Durant and Westbrook remained a formidable duo. That team never reached the NBA Finals again after losing to the Miami Heat in 2012, and the team was eventually broken up.
One of the most outspoken members of that Thunder team in recent years has been Kendrick Perkins who was little more than a role player on those OKC teams. During a recent appearance on ‘Road Trippin,’ with Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye, Kendrick Perkins recalled a time from those Thunder teams when Scott Brooks called out both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for being too selfish on the court.
“We’re in New York, we’re playing the Brooklyn Nets. I was in Oklahoma City and we lost. KD and Russ, we had 92 shot attempts as a team. KD and Russ took 80 of them,” Perkins said. “We walked up in the practice gym afterwards and he [Scott Brooks] told Thabo [Sefolosha], we’re all huddled up at half court. Scott Brooks gave the ball to Thabo and he said, ‘Here Thabo, shoot the ball two times.’ Thabo took two shots.”
“He gave the ball to Serge Ibaka. He said, ‘Serge, take one shot.’ Serge took a shot,” Perkins continued. “He threw the ball to me. He said, ‘Perk hold the motherf**ker.’ I held it. He said, ‘Russ, KD, we can’t f**cking win like this. Nobody’s going to want to play with you two guys.’”
The Thunder drafted Durant when the franchise was still the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007. Westbrook followed in 2008 as the Thunder’s first ever draft pick following the move and the name change. Harden would follow in 2009.
With Durant and Westbrook as a duo, the Thunder reached the NBA Playoffs six times, including three Western Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. That team would be broken up for good once Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 offseason.
