Kevin Durant entered Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals as the front-runner for the series MVP award. While the result was not a favorable one for the Golden State Warriors, Durant finished the evening with an impressive statistical performance, and in truth, his team is still a prohibitive favorite to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
However, all of that success did not prevent Durant from being trolled by fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and their ammunition was only two words.
Russell. Westbrook.
The chants took place at the 3:38 mark of the third quarter, as Durant went to the free throw line with his team trailing by double figures. It should be noted that this was not one of the louder exchanges of the evening from what was a tremendous Cleveland crowd, but the content of this particular chant was not up for debate, even using the broadcast audio.
At this point, it is entirely possible that whatever beef existed between Durant and Westbrook could be gone, especially with one former teammate indicating publicly that the duo is now back on speaking terms. Still, it is undoubtedly interesting that the Cavaliers’ crowd chose this particular moment in the NBA Finals to throw presumptive shade in Durant’s direction using this as the basis.
Kevin Durant is enjoying an excellent return to the NBA Finals, and this won’t slow him down. In the same breath, it is both odd and weirdly fitting that he can’t escape from the Russell Westbrook cloud on the game’s biggest stage.
