Overview
- Multiple outlets on Monday reported Dion Waiters’ account from the Real Talk podcast that Kevin Durant texted him and Serge Ibaka about “bringing this thing back for one more year” before Durant left Oklahoma City.
- Durant left the Thunder in July 2016 to sign with the Golden State Warriors after OKC surrendered a 3-1 lead to Golden State in the Western Conference Finals.
- Durant’s move helped turn the Warriors into a dominant team that reached three straight NBA Finals and won championships in 2017 and 2018, and it helped normalize star players joining together in free agency.
- Russell Westbrook became the Thunder’s primary leader after Durant’s exit, averaged a triple-double in 2016–17 and won the 2017 MVP while several role players, including Waiters, signed elsewhere.
- OKC’s long rebuild after the split ended with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2025 title, and the renewed podcast recollection highlights how the 2016 decision still shapes how teammates and fans remember that era.