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Kevin Durant says his goodbyes to Kendrick Perkins

By FanSided Staff

Jan 18, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) and center Kendrick Perkins (5) look on from the bench against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 127-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) and center Kendrick Perkins (5) look on from the bench against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 127-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kevin Durant went to Twitter to say his goodbyes to former Thunder center, Kendrick Perkins

In a trade that sent Reggie Jackson to the Detroit Pistons and Kendrick Perkins to the Utah Jazz, the Oklahoma City Thunder made room for new comers Enes Kanter, Steve Novak, Kyle Singler, and D.J. Augustin right before the trade deadline happened. While the blockbuster deal does make a lot of sense for the Thunder, star forward Kevin Durant went to twitter to say his goodbyes to his former teammate.

Perkins was acquired by the Thunder from the Boston Celtics during the 2010-11 season. His strong inside presence that year helped the Thunder make it to the Western Conference finals only to lose to the Dallas Mavericks, 4-1.

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His career with the Thunder also included a finals appearance, where they faced off against the Miami Heat in 2012. Unfortunately, they ended up losing four in a row after winning game one at home.

Durant will always remember Perkins as a fiery center who always pushed his teammates to get better. He was never afraid to stand up to Durant and let him know where his game needed improvement. Coming off of an MVP season last year, Perkins told Durant that if he wanted to be in a class with Kobe, MJ, and Lebron, he would need to hit the weight room.

The friendship that developed between the two does seem like it was a special one. Durant was never afraid to joke around with the big man, calling him out for getting too many technical fouls.

Perkins size and defensive strength in the paint isn’t going to be the only thing that is missed in OKC this season. His relationship with Durant went beyond what happened on the hardwood. Even though Perkins is likely to be bought out by the Jazz, the big mans’s efforts in Oklahoma City will not be forgotten.

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