Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City devastated when he announced in July he would join the Golden State Warriors, leaving behind the franchise for which he had played for his first nine years in the NBA. Durant meant a lot to his city; Oklahoma would have even given him a governmental post if he’d have stuck around.
Thunder fans were crushed. They burned his jersey, and a local store sold it for 48 cents. Now the fans are taking even more drastic action: as The Oklahoman reported, they want the city of Durant, Okla., to be renamed Westbrook, Okla., in honor of Russell Westbrook, who just re-signed with the Thunder shortly after his co-star departed.
This is a real movement that’s actually happening. The petition has nearly 800 signatures as it approaches its goal of 1,000. The petition states, “the great state of Oklahoma has been betrayed.”
“I believe the State of Oklahoma has a responsibility to change the name of the City of Durant to Westbrook, the man who is loyal, whom we believe in, and who will lead our team to glory,” the organizer, Ryan Nazari, wrote. “Yes, it is understood that the city Durant was not named after the evil Kevin Durant, but it is just another hideous reminder of what happened to our community.”
One sportscaster in the region had a good suggestion for a way to tweak the petition in order to twist the knife a little further.
As Westbrook is fond of saying: “why not?”
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
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