Kevin Durant Says He Thought Russell Westbrook Had '5 or 6 More Years Left' Before NBA Retirement

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant was apparently taken by surprise when his former teammate Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA this August.

"I was a little sad, because I still thought Russ had five or six more years left," Durant told reporters Friday after kicking off the preseason with a win over Dallas Mavericks in China. "He has an athletic body that can still impact the game positively.

"But sometimes, people are at that point where they just want to step away and do something different. So, congrats to him on an iconic career, and I know the next phase in his life he's gonna put the same amount of work into just like he did in basketball."

Westbrook averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game while playing 29 minutes per night last season for the Sacramento Kings.

The 37-year-old announced his retirement after 18 seasons, eight of which he spent playing alongside Durant on the Oklahoma City Thunder, in August.

Durant, who turned 38 in September, is preparing for his 19th NBA season, and his first without Westbrook in the league since his rookie year.

He is currently signed through this season with the Rockets with a 2027-28 player option on which he can decide by next June.

Durant said in September he doesn't want to reduce his minutes this season after averaging more than 36 per night as a 78-game starter in his first campaign with the Rockets.

After missing most of the Rockets' first-round series loss last spring, Durant will hope for better injury luck as he heads into his second season in Houston.