An Oklahoma City Thunder fan has started a petition to change the name of Durant, Oklahoma, to Westbrook, Oklahoma. Is this too extreme a reaction to Kevin Durant leaving the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in free agency? Great question — yes, of course it is, if it’s serious.
Ryan Nazari of Edmond, Oklahoma, posted the following letter to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Durant mayor Stewart Hoffman on change.org:
Ladies and gentlemen, the great state of Oklahoma has been betrayed. As many of you know, Kevin Durant has left our state, torn out our hearts, and left our beloved Oklahoma City Thunder in depleted shape. All of this after even being offered a cabinet position for the State of Oklahoma. It is because of this heinous action that I believe the State of Oklahoma has a responsibility to change the name of the City of Durant to Westbrook, the man who is loyal, whom we believe in, and who will lead our team to glory. Yes, it is understood that the city Durant was not named after the evil Kevin Durant, but it is just another hideous reminder of what happened to our community. Support the Cause. #WestbrookOK
That reads like a parody of a scorned Thunder fan. Betrayal! Evil! Heinous! Hideous! If Nazari really wants this to happen, then this is more than a little bit ridiculous. If it’s a joke, though, then it’s a pretty good one. As of this writing, the petition has 851 signatures and counting.
My suggestion: Instead of naming a town after Westbrook, Oklahoma should have a town named Collison. After all, veteran forward Nick Collison is the only member of the team who has been with the organization since its first season in OKC. Also, Fallin already declared Aug. 4 to be “Russell Westbrook Day” when the star guard re-signed with the Thunder.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
