Russell Westbrook on Rockets' Win vs. Thunder: 'When I Hoop, I Have No Friends'

Monday night marked the first time Russell Westbrook faced the Oklahoma City Thunder since an offseason trade, and even though the longtime OKC star may still have relationships with former teammates, he was all business come game time.

"When I hoop, I have no friends," Westbrook told reporters after leading the Houston Rockets to a 116-112 victory. "... Inside those lines, there's no friends. Spalding, that's my friend. And my teammates. And that's it."

Westbrook made his way to the Thunder locker room following the game to catch up with his former teammates. But for the 48 minutes they spent as opponents, he had no interest in being friendly.

Having spent the first 11 seasons of his career in OKC, it would've been understandable for the eight-time All-Star to spend part of the game catching up with the likes of center Steven Adams, a teammate of his for six years.

But it was business as usual, which is nothing new for Westbrook.

Back in April 2017, for instance, he made headlines by saying the basketball is his "one friend" when he's on the court:

That approach helped earn the 2017 MVP his reputation as one of the most intense players in the league, and it paid off Monday night, as he put up 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.