By Kristina Callahan
The offseason
for the Thunder was abnormally quiet. After being defeated by the Heat in five
games, OKC fell off the map but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The team
entered into the Thunder Events Center yesterday with few unfamiliar faces.
James Harden told USA Today that what this Thunder team shares is more than
what other teams can even imagine.
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| AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki |
"We build a brotherhood here, a
brotherhood from past years that is hard to break," said James Harden, the
NBA's sixth man of the year. "Other teams are just teammates. We are
really brothers."
While the Lakers are making
blockbuster trades and building around veteran players, the Thunder is fine
with bringing in young talent and letting them mend and work together, a recipe
that has seemed to work. This building process started five years ago when the then,
Seattle SuperSonics drafted a 6’9”19-year-old small forward out of Texas who
had a ridiculous 7’5” wingspan. Kevin Durant was selected as the #2 overall
pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Five years and a gold medal later,
the 24-year-old is still surrounded by his brothers. A year after Durant was
selected, the SuperSonics drafted a 20-year-old point guard out of UCLA. The
fans would soon see how Russell Westbrook could compliment Durant so perfectly.
Little did the organization know that these two players would go on to be one
of the most recognized duos in the NBA. The Bleacher Report named Durant and
Westbrook the best 1-2 punch in the NBA under 25. The duo combined for an
average of 51.6 points last season.
After four seasons, countless hours of
practice, and plenty of time to hang out with one another, it’s only natural
that Durant call Westbrook his brother.
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