Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden: The Oklahoma City Thunder Dynasty That Never Began

A little less than a year to this day, the Oklahoma City Thunder arguably had captured the three of game’s brightest stars on one NBA roster with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Not only that, but these stars helped each other along, creating a brotherhood of NBA talent that you believed would stick with one another through thick and thin. In the trio, the Thunder possessed not only three superstars, but three superstars that loved one another like blood brothers.

Unfortunately, we know what events transpired before the beginning of the 2012-2013 NBA season and what we were robbed of potentially seeing. At present, what we are left with are just pieces of a broken jewel. James Harden now calls the Houston Rockets his band of brothers, teamed with Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons, attempting to ultimately recreate what once was in Oklahoma City with Durant and Westbrook.

Meanwhile, the bright future that the Thunder once had now looks murkier than ever. With the injury to Westbrook, there even existed a moment when it looks as though the former glory that the team witnessed in the past would forever disappear in the literal blink of an eye.

Though fans can consider themselves fortunate that was not the case with Durant and Westbrook once again terrorizing the league together, I can’t help but feel that this Thunder team just doesn’t elicit that same feeling anymore.

Aside from Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefelosha and Steven Adams, the remaining roster looks like one that was thrown together in desperation. Essentially, the time that the Thunder were seen as the growing wolf on the field of tiring, aging animals has come and gone.

It will be years, maybe even decades, before we start to truly appreciate what horror transpired on October 28, 2012; but rest assured, no matter where each of us are at the moment when that first mourner of lost basketball history appears in the world, if you still love the NBA, you will feel as I do now: robbed.

Pavle Kisin-Rajlic is a Chicago Bulls writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him @Gambitguru77, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.