Basketball legend Michael Jordan inducted Russell Westbrook into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame last Thursday night. In his speech, Jordan commended Westbrook and his loyalty as a player for re-signing with the Thunder after Kevin Durant left and signed with the Golden State Warriors.

"I'm not here to try to bash anyone that's not here," Jordan said, drawing laughter from the crowd at the Cox Convention Center. "Everybody has a choice. I'm not saying you don't have a choice. Everybody has a choice, and when I saw that he chose to stay here in Oklahoma, I was so proud."

We’ve seen the emergence of super teams within the NBA since the late 1980’s; teams that you would typically form in a game of 2K. Among these include: the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers consisting of Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O’Neal, the 2008 Boston Celtics which assembled the first Big Three of the modern era with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, of course the 1996 Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat of 2011, the Cleveland Cavilers with King James, and most prominently, the 2017 Golden State Warriors.

There’s a lot of debate on whether or not these “super teams” stacked with superstars are good for the league. Kevin’s Durant’s decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors earlier this 2016 summer brought on a lot of criticism. A lot of people were upset that so much talent was in one place and that super teams would make the NBA less entertaining to watch. Not to mention people also believed that “KD a hoe” and he shouldn’t have abandoned a team that showed him so much love.

Some would even argue that LeBron did the exact same thing six years ago when he left his home of Cleveland to win a Championship title in Miami. That was clear goal. Yet no one had a problem with the formation of the super team of the Miami Heat there, except for Cavs fans of course. Regardless, the circumstances were not the same. LeBron James needed a championship win on his resume and he wasn’t going to get in Cleveland. The team wasn’t there. In fact, it was probably more of a hard decision than an easy one for LeBron, whereas we have witnessed other NBA stars who did take the easy way out.

KD actually did have a chance in OKC to win a championship. The team was there. What really ticked people off the most though, was that Kevin Durant joined the team of whom he a blew a 3-1 lead to, and that went to back to back finals, and had a two time reigning MVP. He could have joined an organization such as the Boston Celtics and could have built on his potential to grow as a player and expand on his evolution as a man and leaving his comfort zone (his primary mandates for leaving) just as easy there. As they say, if you can’t beat them, join them.

I used to be heavily against the whole super team thing but now it doesn’t really bother me. In fact, I kind of like having one or two in the league. It gives all the other teams a common enemy and also makes a lot of guys play better. Take Demar Derozan of the Toronto Raptors for example. He currently averages 33 points a game. I attribute some of this to the fact that he knows he can’t beat teams such as the Warriors or Cavs without him going off every night. Super teams don’t make the NBA any less entertaining in fact they do the opposite by bringing out the competitiveness in other teams and players.

I love a loyal player. I think as a fan, we all do. I would take it as a personal offense of betrayal if Paul George just up and left the Pacers for the Cavs. I would probably even lose a little respect for him. But then again I think we as fans forget that the NBA is indeed still a business for they players and they have the right to go after whatever puts them in the best situation.

It’s easy to get caught up all in the feels and I think to an extent, we over dramatize the situations. With all of that being said though, it still says something about a player’s character though when they choose to stay with the team who gave them everything and I really believe that superstars shouldn’t do it.

I echo Michael Jordan’s words. OKC you better hang on to that boy and love him while he you have him.