MVP Race: Westbrook not friends with Harden on court

Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook and Houston Rockets guard James Harden have a friendship that goes back to when they were kids.

The pair grew up in the same neighbourhood in Los Angeles and were both part of the Thunder from 2009-12. They continued to maintain that friendship, even when Harden moved to the Rockets.

But with the Rockets and Thunder facing off the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs on Sunday, Westbrook made it clear that his friendship with Harden will be non-existent on the court.

“When I get on the floor, I got one friend, and that’s the basketball,” Westbrook said.

“I’ve been like that since I was a little kid. My dad told me that when I was younger, ‘You got one friend and your friend is Spalding. At the time maybe it was Wilson or some other s***’.

“Whatever the ball is, that’s who my friend is.”

Even though they pitted against each other in the MVP race this season, Harden maintains he will always have a solid friendship with Westbrook.

“Since 10 years old. That’s never gonna change,” Harden said at the Rockets’ shootaround on Sunday.