Experiencing Russell Westbrook’s return to Chesapeake Arena in OKC

As we all know, the Thunder don’t do tribute videos for any of their ex-players.

They didn’t do one for Kevin Durant. They didn’t do one for James Harden. They didn’t do one for Paul George.

But there are always exceptions to rules, and that’s the case tonight with Russell Westbrook’s return to OKC. And I don’t think you’ll find a single person in the panhandle state that will have a problem with that. That’s how much Russ means to this state, to this city, and to this franchise. Here’s what the Thunder put together for Russ:

This isn’t just another regular season game, and the Thunder recognize that. In fact, the Thunder embrace that. They know this is going to be an all day celebration for Russell Westbrook, and an appreciation what he’s done for this franchise.

If you were ever going to attend a Thunder game, this is the one. Thankfully, I was able to foresee that and bought tickets as soon as the schedule dropped. Below was my own personal recording on when Russ’ name was announced:

As you can see, it was a bunch of raw emotion and endless appreciation and love for Russ. It’s crazy how much he means to this franchise. Russ and the Thunder will forever be linked together for the rest of time.

Thunder GM Sam Presti released a statement yesterday for today’s game.

Russell Westbrook might not have been the best player to play for the Thunder, but he is undoubtedly the greatest Thunder player ever. Westbrook is not only the franchise leader in most statistics, he’s also the franchise leader in memories created for this young fan base.

Now going to this game is a must for any Thunder fan, but if you couldn’t make it, then that’s fine. The next best option will be when the Thunder retire Russ’ jersey and unveil his statue outside The Peake.