Kevin Durant shared a heartfelt tribute to Russell Westbrook on Thursday, a day after his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate announced his retirement from the NBA after 18 seasons.

Durant posted a 276-word message on X reflecting on their shared history and praising Westbrook's playing style and work ethic during their eight seasons together in Oklahoma City.

"A lot of people looked at the emotions on the court and thought Russ was loud. Nah to me, he was quiet and methodical. He led by example and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom," wrote Durant. "It was inspiring as his teammate and everywhere I went, I seen it inspire people from all walks of life. Crazy thing is, he didn't say much, he just showed up. For 18 years.

"(The) finals run in our early 20s, all-star games, seeing each other get injured and bounce back, the bus rides, plane rides, card games, jokes and arguments, the whole thing, memorable. I don't care what happens, can't erase what it was."

Durant closed the message by sending well wishes to Westbrook's family before adding a final line of congratulations.

"Congratulations on an iconic career," wrote Durant.

The relationship between the two stars has drawn scrutiny since Durant's departure from Oklahoma City to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016. During their eight seasons together, the Thunder posted five 50-win campaigns, reached the Western Conference finals four times and advanced to the NBA Finals once, in 2012.

Durant's exit was widely interpreted as a rejection of Westbrook's playing style, and Westbrook appeared to reference the split shortly afterward with a since-discussed social media post. Multiple on-court confrontations between the two followed in subsequent years, fueling ongoing speculation about tension in their partnership.

Both players have addressed their dynamic publicly in recent years without fully clarifying what drove them apart. Thursday's message from Durant reflected a more cordial tone between the two as Westbrook's playing career comes to a close.