Billy Donovan has had a lot to drink in this offseason. After losing the best player on his team to free agency, he’s now tasked with somehow bringing the Thunder together after a tumultuous offseason and ushering in a new era in Oklahoma City.

What makes it even more difficult is that there’s speculation that a big reason Kevin Durant left was because he didn’t get along with the other superstar on the team, Russell Westbrook.

In an interview with The Vertical, Donovan sought to put an end to rumors, saying that there was no animosity between Durant and Westbrook.

“I did not experience anything like that and didn’t see anything like that,” said Donovan, referring to tension between Durant and Westbrook.

Donovan only spent one season coaching Durant and Westbrook, but any heated argument he saw between the two of them was simply the result of two competitive stars wanting to win.

“Certainly, during the course of heated moments, any players can get into it a bit,” said Donovan. “I think with Russell and Kevin, both those guys wanted to win at a very, very high level, and I think they had a really, really good relationship.”

I’d like Donovan to point out what player in the league doesn’t have a passion for winning, though.

Isn’t the point of professional sports to win the game you’re playing? Aren’t all players going to have a strong desire to win?

Not all coexisting superstars constantly bicker on the sidelines, though. I’ve never seen Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson go at it the way Durant and Westbrook did over the years.

There had to have been unusual tension between the two, because other examples of superstar teammates bickering on the sidelines are few and far between, at least to the extent Durant and Westbrook fought.

If there hadn’t been any problems in Oklahoma City, Durant simply wouldn’t have left. Oklahoma City could have given him more money, and the roster was talented enough to compete for a championship.

Durant had to have made that major life decision because he was seeking something he didn’t have. Yes, he wanted a championship, but the Thunder were up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals. Clearly they were good enough to compete for a championship.

If Durant was happy in Oklahoma City, he would have stayed. The easiest thing to point to is the contentious relationship with Westbrook.

Considering that he was reportedly very distant with Westbrook during his free agent process, I don’t really buy Donovan’s assertion that there was no animosity.

Durant stressed the team chemistry of the Warriors as a big reason why he joined. Clearly he didn’t feel that same chemistry with the Thunder, and his clashes with Westbrook were probably a big reason why.