The most awaited story in the NBA All-Star Game in 2017 is how former teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will interact.
The NBA's best duo last season has broken up after eight years of playing together. Durant caught Westbrook, his team and the city of Oklahoma by surprise.
Durant is now with the Golden State Warriors, the team that beat them in the Western Conference Finals last season and that caused the team to be betrayed. The bad blood was in full display when the Golden State Warriors and Durant returned to Oklahoma for the first time.
Now it's the main story of the league. A feud between two former comrades, and the fact that they are two top five players in the league just adds to the narrative. One of their teammates with the Thunder and now rival for MVP honors, James Harden, will join them on the West team. Any chance he could help in a reconciliation?
"I'm staying out of it," Harden said, via ESPN's Marc Spears. "It's not my place. I'm on a totally different team now. I know them both very well. If they need advice, I will give it to them. But I'm staying out of it."
"The Beard" talks about the hype: "I don't understand what is going on, I don't understand. Obviously, they feel some type of way. It's part of the game. Part of a guy going to a new team."
Seems like Harden doesn't want to break his concentration this season or maybe, he just doesn't see the big deal at all-because it should not even be there.
Another ex-teammate, the outspoken Kendrick Perkins has shared to The Oklahoman his thoughts on the feud.
"I don't think it's a real beef there." Perkins said. "I think it's just more so maybe feathers being ruffled, just feelings being hurt. I don't think either one of them got hard feelings."
"I done been around them for going on four, five years - numerous group messages to dinners to card games to whatever - and I know both of them really care about each other." Perkins continued. "And I think more so it's the outside world that kind of blow it up and keep adding fuel to the fire. If you look back on it, either one of them never commented and said nothing negative about either one of them."
Despite the on-court jarring that the entire basketball world saw in their last game, Perkins claims there is no real rift between the two and that their relationship will be restored.
"I think in due time, they'll mend." Perkins said. "I was just talking to Russ, and Russ don't have any hard feelings toward KD, and KD feel the same way. So I think in due time, they'll get back on point where they're talking again and get that relationship back."
We saw how aggressive Westbrook was but was it just a show for the people of Oklahoma? Did he feel the need to carry all the hatred? Some of his teammates, like Enes Kanter were openly critical of Durant and Westbrook also took some shots. Just how real is this "feud" and will the All-Star game be a bridge to clearing things up, or will it just worsen it?