Westbrook has always been his own man
Russell Westbrook moved to Oklahoma City in July 2008. He was 19 years old. A week or so earlier, Westbrook had been drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, and within a few days the Sonics had become the Thunder.
So Westbrook came to town. He came alone. No family moved to OKC with him. No friends. No advisers. No handlers. No entourage.
Nine years later, Westbrook is all grown up. But make no mistake, Westbrook always was his own man.
That’s why Westbrook on Friday sent an entire state into delirium. He signed a five-year contract extension for the king’s sum of $205 million which likely guarantees Westbrook remaining in Oklahoma City until at least summer 2023.
Rank it with the Land Run, the Red Fork Gusher that spawned the oil boom and Statehood Day. What else has united Oklahoma with the glee felt Friday, with the assurance that Westbrook had put word into action and went against convention?
The coastal intelligentsia asked why he would stay. Westbrook kept saying why would he not, then proved it by signing the contract extension and concluding his press-release quote with “Why Not?,” a nod to Westbrook’s charitable foundation of the same name and his way of life.
Move to a strange land at age 19 all alone? Become a superstar point guard when critics said he belonged at another position? Average a triple double in a transitional season when the state, the city and the franchise needed a lift? Stay in a small market and fight against the trend of seeking championships on others’ backs?
Why not to all. Remember the San Francisco Magazine
story from last week, when Kevin Durant revealed his regret at leaving the Thunder in summer 2016. Durant said he had a meltdown in a Chinese hotel room, yelling at agent Rich Kleiman, “Why the
( **** ) did you let me do this to my life?”
There will be no buyer’s remorse from Westbrook. He does not make decisions based on the wishes or advice of others. Russell Westbrook’s life is run by Russell Westbrook.
And so Westbrook bought the Thunder offer, not just of $205 million, but of being the Oklahoma City cornerstone. The state icon. The franchise face, not just for this short period of time but for all of eternity. The first statue to go up on Reno Avenue. The first jersey to dangle from the rafters. The man who could lead the Thunder to an NBA championship.
All those years we thought Durant was our Tim Duncan. Instead, it was the scowling wunderkind who was born and bred in Los Angeles, who summers in Paris as a fashion maven but wants to be known forever as an Oklahoma City ballplayer.
Westbrook’s signing means OKC stays relevant on the NBA stage for the foreseeable future. Nothing is assured, but the remarkable run started in 2009 by Durant and Westbrook can continue. The nuclear winter, when we’re without a superstar, is delayed into the next decade.
Some day, Westbrook will no longer play for the Thunder. But that day is deeper into the future, because Westbrook is his own man.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok. com/berrytramel.