Russell Westbrook…the superstar that’s ready to stay in OKC

Russell Westbrook made his intentions clear with his latest commercial; he’s ready to commit to the OKC Thunder.

I’ll be honest with you…it’s weird writing this little post. Less than a year ago I was writing something similar, explaining how all the signs pointed to Kevin Durant returning for at least one more chance to win an NBA Finals in Oklahoma City.

I was 100% wrong. You’d think I’d learn from my mistake, but I haven’t. I will go on record once again: Russell Westbrook is 100% staying with the OKC Thunder. You want to know how I know?

Russell Westbrook isn’t Kevin Durant.

Westbrook didn’t make this commercial seven years ago. He didn’t put this out when he was still a young kid finding his way in the league. He put this message out as a husband, a soon-to-be father. Russell Westbrook put this message out as a 28-year old man who clearly knows what he wants from life.

“Home” and “loyalty” are the big themes from this commercial. Westbrook clearly shows us how much Thunder fans mean to him, and how he wants to do everything in his power to make us happy. He wasn’t supposed to be an MVP candidate when he got drafted. But we – well some of us – believed in him from the start.

What’s beautiful about this commercial is that it comes during a time where Westbrook is still under contract with the Thunder. He doesn’t have to sign an extension this summer, but he also doesn’t want us to go through the same torture we experienced two seasons ago. For Russ, the relationship with OKC Thunder fans is a two-way street; he loves us just as much as we love him.

It’s clear Russ is here to stay. What isn’t clear is how much his extension will be worth. That’s because it’s against NBA rules for players and general managers to discuss contracts until after the season is over. The rumor is Russ will take the super-max, but I have reason to believe that may not be the case.

Let’s go back to that wonderful commercial.

“He cares more about Oklahoma than the money.”

Now there’s no reason to believe that’s true – Russ has always (and understandably) signed the largest contract allowed to him by the CBA. This was more than a commercial for Russ, it was a message to the people of Oklahoma. So why include that, of all the quotes gathered, in this commercial? Because Russ wants to bring a title to us, and signing the super-max would effectively end any chance of that happening.

The ammunition doesn’t stop there though.

If Russell Westbrook was going to sign the super-max he would make over $40 million a year to play basketball. The man doesn’t need free dessert now, but he definitely doesn’t need free dessert with a super-max. But Russ knows he has to pinch his pennies a little bit because he’s (hopefully) going to take less money to stay in Oklahoma City.

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

So maybe I’m wrong about the super-max extension. Maybe I’m being overly optimistic here. But at the same time it makes sense. Russ wants to win with the team that drafted him more than anything else in the world. He doesn’t need $40 million a year to do that, and the Thunder definitely can’t give him that if they want to win.

I digress, because that’s not the point of today’s message. The point is that Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder will be together for many more years. Russell Westbrook and the state of Oklahoma will be together for many more years. Russell Westbrook, you and I will be together for many more years.

Together we can prove the Oklahoma City Thunder doesn’t need Kevin Durant to bring a championship to the Midwest.