Sam Presti Gives Immense Compliments to Russell Westbrook After Trade to Houston Becomes Official

Russell Westbrook no longer repping the bright blue and orange threads of Oklahoma City should have Thunder fans (as well as the common basketball buff) feeling groggy. After all, almost everybody presumed that Brodie would spend the entirety of his career with his beloved franchise.

Are there any string of words to describe Russ' time in OKC? Well, to say that he gave the city 11 seasons of relentless, unparalleled exertion wouldn't even begin to describe his contributions. He helped transform the Thunder into a Western Conference powerhouse for the last decade.

And to nobody's surprise, the man behind Westbrook's ultimate relocation to Houston -- general manager Sam Presti -- had nothing but praise for the former MVP in his first public comments since the shocking blockbuster deal.

If "indelible mark" doesn't summarize what Russ meant to the city and franchise, we don't know what does. That's a plaudit of the highest order.

But that wasn't all Presti had to say about the eight-time All-Star, as he went on to exalt the point guard's impact on the organization and community of Oklahoma City as a whole.

Thunder chairman Clay Bennett pretty much stated what we were trying to earlier: there's no easy way to describe Westbrook's prominence in Oklahoma.

You can't help but feel emotionally moved by these earnest quotes. If only we could witness Russ suit up one more time at Chesapeake Energy Arena.