Report: Russell Westbrook’s photographer’s-vest shot at Kevin Durant had deeper layers

Russell Westbrook said it had no deeper meaning. Kevin Durant said he doesn’t care one way or another.

But I was perplexed by Westbrook wearing a photographer’s vest to last night’s Warriors-Thunder game. I appreciated Westbrook attempting to ramp up the feud, but the method seemed uncharacteristically lame for Westbrook.

Apparently, I missed the layers behind the outfit.

First, some background.

1. Westbrook has subtly and not-so-subtly taken jabs at Durant since Durant left Oklahoma City. But even the not-so-subtle jabs were far from overt.

2. Golden State players recruited Durant throughout last season.

3. Durant and Stephen Curry attended the Super Bowl, Durant as a photographer for The Players Tribune.

Royce Young of ESPN:

Westbrook specializes in clever subtlety, and directly mocking Durant’s photography isn’t really his style. What’s more likely, as suggested by someone with insight into his thinking, is it was a nod to Durant’s post on the Players’ Tribune in which he took pictures at Super Bowl 50 last February. After playing the Warriors on a Saturday night, Durant stayed over in the Bay Area to attend the Super Bowl that Sunday and spent time with some Warriors players, which is when some believe the official recruitment process began.

Oooo. That’s much juicier. I can get behind that.