After playing eight seasons together with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook formed a strong bond on and off the court. However, an apparent rift between them has emerged following Durant's decision to join the Golden State Warriors last year. Many speculated that they had ended their friendship, but the former MVP and four-time scoring champion insists that they have always remained friends.

Durant recently appeared on the Bill Simmons Podcast, where he claimed that they continue to be friends, but are just not talking anymore. He also added that they have no problems, and it was only a matter of not being on speaking terms anymore.

“I don’t think we ever stopped being friends,” Durant told Simmons. “We just stopped talking — but I don’t think we stopped being friends.”

“Not talking, nah, but I mean, I don’t think any… there’s no problems,” Durant said. “But I don’t think we ever stopped being friends.”

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The two were included in a lot of headlines this past season, and the public thought that Westbrook hated Durant for joining the team that eliminated the Thunder in the playoffs only a few months back. Their matchups were highly anticipated, and many expected them to have some fiery exchanges during the games.

Now with a whole campaign on separate teams, Westbrook had his best year as a pro, and made history by becoming the first player in 55 years to average a triple-double throughout the entire regular season, winning the MVP award in the process. Durant on the other hand, won his first championship with the Dubs, and was named the Finals MVP.

If they are still friends or not remains a mystery to many, but one thing certain is that they will continue to be tough competitors for their respective teams, and more intense matchups can be expected from them throughout their careers.