Kevin Durant sat at his locker stall in New Orleans on Friday, staring at the television set that was stationed near the ceiling.

Durant hadn't dressed yet and was wrapped only with a couple of towels. The versatile forward wasn't in a hurry to put on his postgame attire either. He was fixated on the tube.

SportsCenter was on, showing highlights of a game that grabbed and held Durant's attention. It was a game between the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder, his former squad. It was a game Russell Westbrook simply destroyed by going for a jaw-dropping 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. With each aggressive rebound that was shown, with each play Westbrook made, and with each ferocious drive, Durant began talking to himself.

"Damn!" he screamed while watching the highlights of his former superstar partner. "Get your money," he followed with after another Westbrook play. "Give it to 'em, then," he encouraged moments later. And seconds later, "Damn, Russ," right after a driving layup in traffic.

Kevin Durant says he has "always supported" Russell Westbrook and "will continue to support him." ESPN Illustration

Durant couldn't hide his enthusiasm and excitement. Although he had just helped the Golden State Warriors secure a 122-114 victory over the Pelicans by registering 30 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals, his interest was centered on Westbrook.

"The thing is, I'm not a hater," Durant told ESPN on Wednesday. "Russ is a great basketball player. I love watching him play. I'm a fan of his game. I don't wish bad things on people. That's not what I'm about. I've always supported him and will continue to support him."

Durant and Westbrook will face off for the first time as NBA opponents on Thursday at Oracle Arena. The two still haven't spoken since Durant sent Westbrook a text message saying he was leaving via free agency last summer and teaming up with the back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry and All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Durant has taken a lot of heat for his decision to join a 73-win team, but the first meeting with Westbrook is something he's more than ready for.

"Of course I'm looking forward to the game. We're competitors," Durant said.

Durant and Westbrook played together for eight years, racked up five division titles and made their lone NBA Finals appearance in 2012. They were up 3-1 to the Warriors in the Western Conference finals last season and then coughed up three consecutive games. That would be the last time Durant would suit up for Oklahoma City.

As a tandem, they could never get over the hump. They were a nightmare for opposing teams due to their sheer talent, but their games never meshed quite well enough to accomplish the ultimate goal.

Just as Durant was glued to the television to catch Westbrook's highlights, the basketball world will be tuning in to watch how the two interact with each other on Thursday. Just don't expect a friendly opening greeting upon taking the floor.

"I don't shake hands. That's something I've never done before a game," Durant said. "I just take the court to play. After the game, that's different."

Durant said eventually they'll sit down and discuss their differences and try to make amends. Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard understands what it's like to lose a fellow All-Star teammate. LaMarcus Aldridge bolted a winning situation in Portland to sign with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2015 offseason.

Right before word got out, Aldridge called Lillard to inform him he was departing. When asked about how Durant handled his exit, Lillard had his back.

"People are going to do what they want to do. They don't owe nobody nothing," Lillard told ESPN. "KD is fine."

No one knows what to expect on Thursday, which makes the showdown all the more intriguing.

Said Curry: "I've played Oklahoma City plenty of times, so I know what it's like. He doesn't."

Durant will find out soon enough.