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OKLAHOMA CITY -- The sky blue carpet was laid out, and fans equipped with handmade signs and smart phones lined the decaled barricades, waiting for a car to arrive and drop off Russell Westbrook.Local businesses downtown let employees off work early, encouraging them to head to Chesapeake Energy Arena. Drummers pounded on their snares and cymbals, scattered chants of Rus-sell! broke out organically and team employees bounced around, handing out bottles of water and snow cones.More than a thousand people were gathered, sweating in unison on a steamy August day -- one in which the mayor of Oklahoma City, Mick Cornett, had declared to be Russell Westbrook Day.One month ago to the day, Kevin Durant had signed with the Golden State Warriors, bringing the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise to its knees. A truck just ran through us, is how one person within the team phrased it.Now, a celebration was happening. Westbrook had signed an extension, stabilizing the organization and allowing it to finally begin to move forward. Durants departure was the darkest day in franchise history; Westbrooks commitment might be the brightest.The suddenness of Westbrooks renegotiated deal was jarring, going from dead silence for the past month to news breaking late on Wednesday that it was close, and then done. But in reality, Westbrook and the Thunder have been in agreement on an extension for more than two weeks. The signal was Dion Waiters qualifying offer being rescinded, a move done with only the goal of freeing necessary cap space to extend Westbrook. The moment the Thunder pulled that offer, they knew they had a commitment from Westbrook.In the wake of Durants departure, the Thunder focused on patience and level-headed choices. They quickly turned to Westbrook to try and steady the franchise and to do it with something tangible. A contract extension that, in essence, plants a flag in the ground with the Thunder. A declaration that in forgoing his own free agency a year from now, Westbrook was going to pick up the mantle Durant willingly laid down.Yes, Westbrook now maximizes his earning potential. His contract is a renegotiation and it only goes up, adding an extra $8.7 million this season. Then its another guaranteed year with the Thunder, and then Westbrook hits the coveted 10-year veteran max qualifier and could ink a five-year, $204 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in the NBA.But first, he had to commit to the Thunder now.Theres no denying Westbrook made the most pragmatic, sensible decision. Hes making the most money he possibly can and keeping options open for the future. Hes also making the most brash and bold one. Hes assuming the burden of filling the crater Durant left behind. Its a perfect Westbrookian paradox, fitting for the kind of player he is. None of it makes any sense, except it all makes perfect sense.Westbrook, 27, can re-enter the free agent market in two years, and many look at this situation as him giving the Thunder a timetable. A deadline of two years to convince him to stay again. But to judge the length of the contract and assume hes plotting for future free agency would be, like many do with Westbrook already, misreading the situation. Westbrook has made a clear commitment to the Thunder. Hes under contract longer with them than Durant is with the Warriors.The Thunder are under no illusion this is a lifetime contract, though. Theres work to be done. The roster has holes, and Westbrook wants to win. But he also isnt in desperate search for approval because of it. Westbrook doesnt tend to care much about what people think. That should be pretty obvious with the way he dresses himself.Its one of the reasons Westbrook is perpetually misunderstood. Many conflate his on-court persona with his off-court personality. Hes unapologetic. Hes fiery. Hes emotional. Hes arguably the most competitive player in professional sports. And hes really not as complicated as it might seem. With Westbrook, what you see is what you get. Hes not one to mince words with the media -- no matter how short those words might be -- and it wont take a decoder to figure him out.Im a straightforward type of guy. I shoot you straight, he said. No need to go back and forth and try to figure out any other options, create this hoopla, rumors and all this stuff. This is where I want to be, and thats what I made the decision based on.Almost instantly after Durant left, Westbrook understood the gravity of the situation he was cast into. It was time for him to make a decision now, a year earlier than expected, and give the Thunder a course to plot. As one person close to Westbrook said: He operates in the light of day. There would be no backroom angling. He was going to give the Thunder an answer, one way or the other.All the times weve been together, OKC general manager Sam Presti said, I dont think Ive ever walked out a conversation with him thinking, I dont know where he stands, I dont know what he thinks, I dont know what he means. It was right down the middle. Direct.But following Durants announcement, as he said Thursday, Westbrook quickly shifted into thinking ahead for the Thunder. He asked Presti, Whats next?I said, Here is one thing that could be next, Presti said. Id really like it to happen, by the way.The Thunder made it their primary objective to lock up Westbrook. They maneuvered to be in the position to do it, and once they formally presented the option, it didnt take long for him to commit.It might have seemed as if it was a toss-up, that the Russell Westbrook many perceive wouldnt stay in little ol Oklahoma City. Hes got his fashion interests. Hes from Los Angeles. Hes got to crave the big-city spotlight.Durant always appeared to be the perfect fit with Oklahoma City, with his humble nature and down-home demeanor. But he also was drawn to a bigger city, not necessarily for the brighter lights, but for the ability to blend. In Oklahoma City, Durant carried a larger-than-life burden everywhere he went. Hed privately lamented to friends an inability to be in public. Westbrooks ideal night off the floor, though? At home with his wife, Nina, watching anything other than basketball. Thats a fit with Oklahoma City.While Durant often had issues with the roster -- not enough veterans, not the right mix, not enough spending -- Westbrook has always been a believer in Presti. Westbrooks mentality has consistently been this: Give me the 14 guys you want me to play with, and well go after it. And as the Thunder now reconfigure around him, Presti has the responsibility of sorting through the best way to complement a Westbrook-led roster.Westbrooks world is forever different now. He was once a part of a core, with Durant and James Harden and Serge Ibaka. Then he was the Han Solo to Durants Luke Skywalker. Now, hes flag-bearer, assuming the full weight of a franchise on his back. He now takes on the responsibility of being the franchise player, alone. He didnt ask for it. But he has embraced it.Westbrook has always has been an overcomer. He didnt care he was barely recruited out of high school. He didnt flinch at critics saying hes not a point guard. Hes not one to shy away from a challenge. He runs into them headfirst, full steam ahead, for better or worse. Picking up the pieces after Durants exit is as much a challenge as there is.Exactly the kind of thing Russell Westbrook lives for. 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The NBA and Basketball Australia (BA) have on Thursday announced the launch of the NBA Global Academy, an elite training centre at BAs Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.The centre will serve as a hub for top international prospects from around the world to train with NBA-level coaches, in elite sports facilities and play in elite competitions.This will be the NBAs fourth elite training centre with the organisation launching NBA Academies in Hangzhou, Jinan and Urumqi, China, with prospects from around the world expected to start enrolling in coming weeks.Basketball Australia is thrilled to partner with the NBA on the development of promising young talent from around the world, said Basketball Australia Chief Executive Officer Anthony Moore.Our Centre of Excellence has a wonderful track record of producing athletes who can compete on the world stage, and we welcome the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with the NBA.Previously operated by the AIS, the Centre of Excellence has produced top-level players Lauren Jackson, Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, Penny Taylor and Dante Exum.NBA Academies will include educational development for top international male and female prospects and mark the NBAs most significant investment in elite player development.NBA Global Academy will allow top prospects from around the world to train with and compete against their peers in a structured environment unnder the supervision of NBA-trained coaches and in collaboration with BAs internationally recognized coaches, said NBA Vice President, International Basketball Operations Brooks Meek.ddddddddddddOn behalf of the NBA, we look forward to working with Basketball Australia on this initiative and helping elite prospects reach their full potential.The Academies will focus on more than just on field success with BA announcing they would focus on a holistic approach to player development with the Academies focusing on education, leadership, character development and life skills, building off the initiatives of the NBAs already existing grassroots programs including Jr. NBA and NBA 3X, which engaged with more than 12 million youth during the 2015-16 season.Each centre will house under-16 and under-18 teams that will compete against top competition throughout the year, while top students will be given opportunities to be selected for international touring teams for tournaments and exhibition matches.Housed in Australias world-renowned AIS, the training centre will be central to world-class, elite high performance facilities and leading sports practitioners in the fields of sports science, sports medicine and coaching.The NBA also reportedly has plans to expand its Global Academy operations into Africa and India. 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