The day Russell Westbrook finally beat Taylor Swift

It’s not a fake story. I was there. The day Russell Westbrook finally beat Taylor Swift in a game of basketball.

It happened at a private gym in Los Angeles, California on July 18, 2014 in front of less than 15 people. We all had to sign non-disclosure agreements prior to the game, but now that Taylor has revealed what happened, I am free to tell the story. The real story of the greatest one-on-one game I’ve ever witnessed.

In talking to people before the game, I found out that a friendly game of basketball had become a summer tradition for Swift and Westbrook. The two made it a point to set aside time in their busy schedules to get together in Los Angeles during the summer to shoot hoops, write songs, and just catch up. They’ve been friends for 20 years now, and if you know anything about either of him, you know that friends are family to both of them.

Swift had always won. Some speculated that Westbrook let her win, but that doesn’t sound like the Russell Westbrook I watch on a nightly basis. Hours later it was obvious that Westbrook had never let her win. Taylor Swift is darn good at basketball.

The rules were simple: make it, take it. No 3s, only 1s and 2s. Play to 11. Must win by two. Call your own fouls.

Being the reigning, defending, undefeated champion, Swift started with the ball. Westbrook gave her space. Swift used the blank space to drill a 2-pointer from the top of the key. I was stunned. Her form looked so pure, like she was taught by Ray Allen himself. Even Westbrook looked a bit befuddled.

Swift would jump out to a 5-0 lead, another 2-pointer and a silky pull-up free throw line jumper that looked oddly familiar to Westbrook fans, before finally missing. After grabbing the rebound and resetting, I saw the look in Westbrook’s eyes. It was the same look he had in Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals where he dropped 43 points on 63 percent shooting.

He immediately attacked Swift off the dribble, blowing by her and getting an easy layup. He would continue to attack for two more easy baskets. Westbrook wasn’t even sweating at this point. Westbrook drove for a fourth time, once again getting by Swift with ease. But, as he went to her left, she reached around and knocked the ball loose with her right hand. The ball went out of bounds. Westbrook sighed and claimed it was off him. It wasn’t, but it was a respectful gesture and a reward to Swift for making a great defensive play.

Swift would hit a fadeaway in the post before missing a reverse layup that gave Westbrook the ball back. Westbrook hit a 2-pointer before posting Swift on two straight occasions. He hit a fadeaway of his own on the first shot, tying the game at six, but missed the second.

Swift drained a long 2-pointer to put her up 8-6. On the next possession, she pulled a crossover that would have had Allen Iverson making faces before drilling a step back jumper to go up 9-6. Not looking to mess around, Swift took a couple of dribbles, looked Russell in the eyes, and confidently said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling half of 22.” Right on “22,” she rose up for a potential game-winning 2-pointer.

Westbrook was slightly late on the challenge as Swift got a clean look. I couldn’t breathe. The ball looked on the way down but somehow rattled out. There is no way to explain just how close the ball was going through the hoop. Ninety-five percent of the ball was down. And it somehow popped out. It’s as if Westbrook mind controlled it back out of the hoop.

With a new lease on life, Westbrook wasted no time getting back into the game. He threw down a thunderous dunk that Swift smartly didn’t bother to challenge. She’s fearless, but not stupid. Westbrook got two buckets in the paint to tie things at 9.

He went for a dagger two of his own, but it caught the back rim and fell into Swift’s hands. Swift cleared, drove, and initiated contact near the basket. Westbrook caught her on the wrist as she went for the layup. “AND ONE!” she screamed as she finished the layup for a 10-9 lead.

This didn’t sit well with Westbrook, who slammed the ball in anger. They might be best friends, but the NBA All-Star was not happy at the prospect of losing another one-on-one game to the famed singer.

Swift tried to close out the game with a quick shot just inside the arc but missed. Westbrook got the rebound, cleared, and attacked. This time, Swift wasn’t going to give an inch. She challenged Russell at the rim. He went from having a sure dunk to a tough layup. Westbrook contorted his body and somehow finished the layup around the body of Swift.

Now, with the game tied at 10, Taylor was the frustrated one. She grabbed the ball and checked it back to Westbrook with a venom typically reserved for her biggest hits. Westbrook gave a smile. Took a dribble, thought about driving but backed off. He reset a good five feet behind the arc. Swift gave him plenty of room.

Westbrook rose without a challenge and launched a 36-footer. Swift turned to look at the ball. At this moment, time stopped. I can’t tell you all of the thoughts going through my head as I watched the ball arc down towards the hoop.

My first thought was, no one will believe this. Even if I could tell all of my friends about what I am witnessing, no one will believe it. It was almost an empty feeling. Bearing witness to a one-on-one game between one of the greatest basketball players alive and Russell Westbrook and not being able to tell anyone.

The ball never touched the rim, just going smoothly through the net before hitting the floor.

Westbrook was calm. No exuberant celebration or dance. He wasn’t excited that he won. He was happy that he survived.

Swift collapsed to the floor as her team of aides rushed to her side, worried for her health. She waved them away, declaring herself to be fine, just disappointed. Westbrook helped her up, gave her a hug, and whispered, “It’s ok. Just shake it off.”

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One month later, Shake It Off became Taylor’s biggest hit to date.

Almost immediately, we were escorted out of the gym. As I left, I saw them smiling and laughing, looking like two best friends who had just come back from shopping at the mall. The game and the result no longer mattered.

They were just Russell and Taylor, normal people who pushed each other for 20 years to be the greatest person they can be.