Russell Westbrook sends a bold message to the OKC Thunder, proclaiming that Nuggets are better

If anyone knows how to spot a title contender, it's Russell Westbrook. The future Hall of Famer has been a part of one for almost his entire career. Wherever he goes, he strives for playoff success.

Westbrook spent his first 11 seasons as a co-star with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former MVP winner knew what it was like to be on one of the best squads in the league and make playoff run after playoff run.

That makes his comments after the Thunder's first loss interesting. The Denver Nuggets overcame OKC's historic 7-0 start to the year in a close matchup. With Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon out, the 35-year-old improved with 29 points, six assists and six rebounds.

After the win, Westbrook stated his belief in being better than the Thunder despite both teams' records earlier in the season. OKC is 7-1 and Denver is 5-3.

“Right now they have the best record, but I feel like we have a better team and tonight we showed that,” Westbrook said.

This could be the first spark of a rivalry between the Thunder and Nuggets. While they battled for first place last season, there was no real off-field drama between the two teams. But given OKC's rapid rise and Denver's slow decline, Westbrook's words opened the door between the two teams.

How poetic would that be?

There was nothing outrageous about what Westbrook said. The Nuggets could have a good argument against the Thunder because they are a better team due to their history and the presence of Nikola Jokic. But these debates are usually left to fan bases. Hearing an actual player explain that he probably caught the Thunder's attention.

When both teams meet in the playoffs, it will be an exciting series. The Thunder and Nuggets have delivered one classic after another in most of their contests over the past two seasons.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Russell Westbrook sends bold message to OKC Thunder