OKC Thunder fan petitions to change name of Durant, OK to Westbrook, OK

Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left), Kevin Durant (center), and general manager Bob Myers (right) pose for a photo during a press conference after Durant signed with the Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left), Kevin Durant (center), and general manager Bob Myers (right) pose for a photo during a press conference after Durant signed with the Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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An Oklahoma resident and OKC Thunder fan has started a petition to change the name of Durant, OK to Westbrook, OK in light of Kevin Durant’s free agency departure.

If you’re a fan of the OKC Thunder, chances are you are still hurting over Kevin Durant. The once beloved star of the Thunder, in case you’ve been under a rock this summer, signed a new deal with the Golden State Warriors.

But the real story is just getting started. A petition has been started online with the intent to change the name of one Oklahoma town.

Durant, Oklahoma is the center of attention here, and the subject of a petition by Oklahoma native Ryan Nazari. He filed the petition at Change.org recently, and expressed his feelings. The point of his petition is to officially change the name of Durant to Westbrook.

Now that KD has bolted for other opportunities, Russell Westbrook takes over as the face of the franchise. As you’ll see, Nazari is not taking this petition lightly:

"“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”"

According to the petition, it needs a total of 1,500 signatures before it will be delivered to Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin. As of Thursday night, the document was standing at 1,209 signatures.

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A mere 291 names remain before this could be brought to light. Obviously, Durant isn’t named after the former Thunder star, but his loyalty is deep enough he probably doesn’t even want the name associated with the state.