SAN FRANCISCO -- Russell Westbrook swaggered into Oakland's Oracle Arena wearing an orange photographer's vest Thursday night. 017 Archivescurious bit of attire was understandably interpreted by most as a passive-aggressive dig at Kevin Durant.
Durant, of course, is the former Oklahoma City teammate who spurned Westbrook and the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors as a free agent last season. But Durant happens to be a photo hobbyist in addition to being an NBA demigod -- hence Westbrook's orange vest.
With his WWE-esque entrance Thursday, Westbrook heated the most anticipated early-season matchup in recent NBA memory to a boil before it even began. Those waters, however, would soon prove too hot.
Durant has been a target of thinly veiled public digs from Westbrook since signing with Golden State on July 4. There was the Instagrammed photo of cupcakes, interpreted to mean Durant was soft for joining a super-team. There were curt quips to the media. There were advertisements playing on his supposedly newfound freedom.
Then, of course, there was the orange vest.
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All told, there was enough for SB Nationto put together a compendium of Westbrook's slights before Thursday night's big showdown in Oaktown. Thunder forward Enes Kanter, meanwhile, was more open about taking shots at the departed Durant via social media.
But by the time Kanter was seen on TV Thursday night talking actual trash to Durant from the bench in Oakland, the bitterness seemed more impotent than entertaining. Durant, by that point, had already laid waste to his former teammates after four months of chirping.
His first-half highlights speak for themselves.
Golden State's new star proved two things in his 29-point first half Tuesday night:
For all their combined brilliance in Oklahoma City -- and for all the old questions about whose teamthe Thunder were then -- the simple fact is that Durant has always been in a class above Westbrook as a basketball player.
Westbrook and Kanter's antagonism just might have ignited a rivalry whose flames they'll regret stoking for some time to come.
"They’re going to want to beat him really bad," Warriors forward Draymond Green said before the Durant-Thunder matchup. "He’s going to want to beat them really bad. In turn, we’re going to want to beat them really bad because we want him to beat them really bad."
Beat the Thunder "really bad" is exactly what Durant and the Warriors did in dealing Oklahoma City its first loss of the season. The final score was an uncouth 122-96. Durant finished with 39 points on 63 percent shooting while tying his career high of seven three-pointers.
After that seventh three-pointer, Durant was caught on camera delivering a message that seemed directed to Westbrook, Kanter and the army of critics lined up behind them: You keep talking, and I'll keep scoring.
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In the Thunder locker room after the beatdown, Westbrook addressed reporters. This time, however, video from the scene shows he neglected to don his orange photographer's vest.
"We'll see 'em again," Westbrook said in reference to three more meetings between the Thunder and Warriors during the regular season.
Indeed they will. The two teams next face-off on Jan. 18 -- a date already circled on the calendar of every NBA fan who prefers their basketball served with a side of drama.
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