It had the look of a defining moment in the relationship.
Russell Westbrook, standing in the middle of the Oklahoma City Thunder's locker room, shook his head in disbelief before calling Paul George's All-Star snub "outrageous."
It was a thin silver lining to the disappointment of George getting left out of the All-Star Game, this one happening in Los Angeles close to where he grew up, while Westbrook was a no-brainer pick by the coaches.
"Russ is the reason why this decision is becoming even more easier to make, is the character Russ [has]," George said last week of Westbrook's comments. "A stand-up guy, and he has his teammate's back."
George was disappointed by the exclusion. He pushed for an exit from the Indiana Pacers for a number of reasons, but within them was a desire to be seen, to have his complete skill set appreciated on a winning team with prime-time performances and a deep playoff run being the springboards.
But even with a blooming candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year, strong numbers across the board, plenty of excellent national TV performances and a steady spot in the Western Conference playoff picture thanks in part to a winning streak now standing at eight, George was left out.
It felt like an indictment of something, but no one knew exactly what. Playing in Oklahoma City? Playing in Westbrook's shadow? With the spotlight of Los Angeles looming over everything George says and does, Lakers sympathizers didn't miss the opportunity to point out all possible explanations.
But with DeMarcus Cousins' Achilles injury paving a way for George into the game, the Thunder somehow wound up with the best of both worlds -- Westbrook made another impression on George, and now George is in the game after all.
They'll head to L.A. together as All-Stars, with a stronger knot tied between them. They'll both be on Team LeBron, and it will be a week of bus rides to events, posing for pictures, trash-talking sessions in the locker room and showing off their sprouting chemistry.
The Thunder have been playing two simultaneous games this season: embracing a potential one-year opportunity to build a contender capable of unseating the Golden State Warriors, while also not-so-subtly taking advantage of a running head start with George's recruitment.
At the heart of both missions is Westbrook, the Thunder's MVP and top pitchman. The franchise already has made an impression on George, with him talking of "checking all the boxes," recalling personal moments like the entire organization showing up to his summer charity fishing tournament, to hyper-attentive staff support as he adapted to a new city.
It's Westbrook, though, who is the Thunder's ace in the hole. His vocal support isn't the first time George referenced the decision becoming "easier" -- George said the same after Westbrook signed a five-year extension with OKC in September. But Westbrook has been intent on building a relationship from the moment the trade went down. It started with a phone call the day of the deal, then turned into hours spent together at an OKC hotel lounge after George was officially welcomed with coronation party.
"[He's] just somebody that you can enjoy this process with. That's what makes it attractive being here playing alongside Russ." Thunder forward Paul George
Both from Southern California, both from similar family backgrounds, both fathers to young children, Westbrook and George have found a lot of common ground. Westbrook has always made it a point to eat breakfast before practices with teammates and staffers, using it as a time to connect and talk about things bigger than basketball. And George is a routine guest at Westbrook's table.
"Being alongside Russ, he's a team-first guy, he's a really good dude and it's great to be around guys like that," George said.
"And not only that, but works hard, works extremely hard and makes it easier for me to put the work in, makes it fun to put the work in. [He's] just somebody that you can enjoy this process with.
"That's what makes it attractive being here playing alongside Russ."
Westbrook can be an acquired taste for some. The outside perception is he's an angry loner who plays only by his terms. George didn't know Westbrook before the trade, and didn't seek out any info from former teammates to get a better idea. He wanted a clean slate. Those who know Westbrook best often talk about his charm, his biting sense of humor, his attention to detail and unwavering commitment to the people who matter most to him -- family, friends, teammates. Just a few months in, those are the things George talks about.
It's something Westbrook has learned in the past few years, connecting on a more personal level with teammates. The basketball, as Westbrook said, will kind of take care of itself. They are fantastically talented players who only needed time to click and flourish. The other stuff is more delicate and, to Westbrook, more important.
"Around here my job is to make sure I lead," Westbrook said. "And it's not about basketball, man, it's not about what you do on the court, but it's about how you interact with your teammates and your brothers off the floor.
"And that's the most important thing to me is to be able to gain a relationship with people. Basketball stuff, that will come and that's short term, but brotherhood and friends, that's lifetime and for me I constantly try to find ways to learn different things about people, learn about their families, learn about their struggles, their journey."
Where other teams fretted over George's uncertain future and dragged their feet at making a move last summer, the Thunder pursued it, risk and all. They were ready and willing to place a bet on what their culture could produce, unafraid to put themselves out there for a potential one-year superstar rental and summer heartbreak.
More than anything, there was a trust in Westbrook, and as he has done time and again since the franchise became his two years ago, he answered the call.
