Look: Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins Beef on Twitter During Westbrook Debate

Megan ArmstrongAnalyst IIIJanuary 10, 2020

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 8: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors and Kendrick Perkins #21 of the Cleveland Cavaliers hug after Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 8, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Russell Westbrook's return to Oklahoma City was met warmly within Chesapeake Energy Arena, but the same can't be said for the reactions it sparked on Twitter.

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, who played in Oklahoma City alongside Westbrook and Kevin Durant from 2010-14, tweeted that Westbrook is "the best player to have ever put on a Oklahoma City Thunder jersey" and called him "Mr. Thunder."

When Perkins was challenged on that notion by Marc D'Amico, who hinted at Durant holding the title, things got chippy. Durant chimed in, taking a dig at Perkins' play:

Marc D'Amico @Marc_DAmico
@KendrickPerkins @SportsCenter I think Russ walked right into the door called “Second Round of the Playoffs” - THREE STRAIGHT TIMES!

Kevin Durant @KDTrey5
@KendrickPerkins @Marc_DAmico @SportsCenter Yea and our starting center @KendrickPerkins averaged a whopping 2 and 3 during that series. U played hard tho champ lol

After Perkins brought up the fact Durant left Oklahoma City in free agency to sign with the Golden State Warriors after the Warriors had defeated the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Durant was seemingly bored:

Kevin Durant @KDTrey5
@KendrickPerkins @Marc_DAmico @SportsCenter https://t.co/QHDltarMKG

However, Durant couldn't leave it at that.

"Weak is starting at center, playing real minutes with no production," the 31-year-old 10-time All-Star wrote. "Should've worked on your skills as much as I did."

Perkins proceeded to reply with the following:

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Kendrick Perkins @KendrickPerkins
@KDTrey5 @Marc_DAmico @SportsCenter That’s fine!!! You worked that hard and still had to go join a 73-9 team. Truth be told you don’t even feel like a real Champ, you have hard time sleeping at night huh knowing that you took the coward way out!!!

Durant won back-to-back titles in Golden State and was named NBA Finals MVP for both before he signed with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent this summer. Perkins won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2007-08 and announced his retirement from the league in April 2019.

Westbrook was traded from the Thunder, who drafted him fourth overall in 2008, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul in July.