Reliving Russell Westbrook’s best moments from his OKC Thunder tenure

What Westbrook means to OKC

All in all, Westbrook was not a winner in Oklahoma City. He and the Thunder won a lot of games, but they usually flamed out when it mattered most. Was Westbrook the sole reason for the Thunder’s shortcomings? Of course not. In some instances, Westbrook could not have done anything more to will the Thunder to victory. However, there were other times where Westbrook was the direct reason why the Thunder lost.

For every bad memory, Westbrook created in Oklahoma City there were two positive memories to counter it. He and the Thunder never got to celebrate a championship parade on the Bricktown Canal. For that reason, his Thunder tenure will forever feel incomplete. Not all stories have a storybook ending. Westbrook’s OKC chapter certainly did not.

That doesn’t mean it should have never happened, or the first 11 years of his career were a waste. As a Thunder fan, I would love to see them win a championship — maybe someday the Thunder will — with that said, I wouldn’t trade the Westbrook era for anything, not for the amazing history he left on the hardwood.

Because of the relationships he built here, and the impact he had on the community. Oklahoma City and Westbrook grew a lot while he was in town, and he played a large role in the city’s growth. When Westbrook and the Thunder arrived in 2008, he was a wide-eyed 20-year-old kid in a small market that the national media was unsure could support an NBA franchise.

When he departed in July, he left as a married man, with three beautiful children. As for the city itself, what was once a college football town has been transformed into a thriving NBA market. For that reason, he will always be one of the greatest icons in Oklahoma history. Welcome back Brodie, it’s like you never left.

Thank you, oh so much to everyone who responded and contributed to this article. Your comments were mightily appreciated.