MANILA, Philippines — Former MVP Russell Westbrook is saying his goodbyes to the OKC Thunder as he heads to reunite with James Harden in Houston.
After spending 11 seasons in OKC, Westbrook is moving on to take his talents to another team.
But not without penning a lengthy farewell to a community that played a significant role in his NBA journey.
A post shared by Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) on
"I can't even begin to put into words all of the emotions I have right now. It's been one heck of a journey Oklahoma!" Westbrook wrote on his personal Instagram.
The three-minute long Instagram video post showcases highlights of Westbrook's career with the Thunder, including his historic MVP season and OKC's cinderella run to the 2012 NBA Finals.
Apart from his prowess on the court, the video also showed Westbrook's kindness off the court with his Why Not? foundation.
Westbrook expressed his gratitude to the Thunder community and acknowledged the huge impact they have made in his life as a basketball player.
"I've met so many amazing people who have helped shape me into the man I am today," Westbrook wrote.
"I'm leaving leaving Oklahoma with so many friends and so much gratitude. I could never thank you all enough for sticking with me. It's been a dream and a whirlwind," he added.
Westbrook is headed to Houston in exchange for Chris Paul and a handful of future draft picks.
But the Thunder may be shipping off Paul to another destination once they get a deal, as per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Houston hoped to find third-team destination preferable to Chris Paul, but ultimately leaves it OKC to execute next step once Presti confers w/ CP3 agent Leon Rose. Miami remains possibility for Paul (3 years, $124M) -- and OKC obviously has picks to incentivize deal, if needed.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2019