Michael Jordan Comments on Russell Westbrook's Loyalty to Thunder

Michael Jordan remained with the Chicago Bulls during his basketball prime, and he lauded Russell Westbrook for his "sense of loyalty" while he inducted the Oklahoma City Thunder guard into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Thursday, per Royce Young of ESPN.com.

"Another thing you guys should be proud of is the sense of loyalty this kid has shown," Jordan said.

While Jordan didn't mention Kevin Durant, it was hard not to think of the 2013-14 MVP. Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors this offseason after spending the first nine years of his career with the Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics. Westbrook, meanwhile, signed a contract extension with Oklahoma City in August.

Jordan continued:

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He decided to stay here in Oklahoma. I'm not here to try and bash anybody that's not here. Everybody has a choice. I'm not saying everybody doesn't have a choice. But when I saw he chose to stay in Oklahoma I was so proud, and as Clay [Bennett] knows and Russ knows, I texted him to show a sense of respect.

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The Thunder shared some of the images from the celebration:

Interestingly, Durant was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame last year, and Westbrook was the presenter. Young noted that Durant hoped they would return this year for Westbrook's induction, but the Warriors playmaker was not present Thursday.

Westbrook's influence extends beyond the court. His charity, the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, opened the first Russell's Reading Room at North Highland Elementary. His website offered the following:

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According to statistics, the ratio of books to children in low-income neighborhoods is one book to every 300 children compared to one for 13 in middle-income areas. First announced in April 2014, Russell's Reading Room is a literacy initiative created to combat this very real issue and provide Oklahoma City children access to books in a safe environment where they can read with friends.

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Westbrook is one of the faces of the Jordan Brand, and the six-time NBA champion said he sees "a lot of resemblance in his passion for the game of basketball in the way I play the game of basketball."

Westbrook countered that "it's hard to compare yourself to the greatest that's ever played the game."

He isn't in Jordan's class, but Westbrook has quite a resume.

The five-time All-Star and 2015-16 All-NBA first-teamer is averaging a career-best 31.8 points a night this season to go with 9.8 assists and 9.5 rebounds. He has also led the Thunder to a 7-5 record through 12 contests, the fourth-best mark in the Western Conference.

If the 28-year-old continues to play at such a high level, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame isn't the only one he will be inducted into.