Kevin Durant joining the 73-9 Golden State Warriors after their NBA Finals loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 is widely touted as the most controversial move in modern NBA history. The backlash generated after LeBron James’ move from Cleveland to the Miami Heat in 2010 paled in comparison to the criticism Durant received for joining the ‘enemies’ and essentially ending all competition in the league. However, KD’s exit from Golden State three years and two NBA championships later would also trigger speculations, with reports indicating an internal rift within the team. In 2020, KD blamed his 2019 fallout with Draymond Green as the chief reason behind his departure from the historic Warriors side, a clip of which has recently resurfaced on Reddit.
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Kevin Durant signed a $164,000,000 deal with the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2019 after the Warriors lost the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Durant had ruptured his Achilles tendon during the Finals, which contributed to the downfall of the defending Champions. The two-time NBA Champion’s departure from the Dubs would mark the end of an era for one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties.
Kevin Durant blaming Draymond Green for his exit from the Dubs resurfaces
Durant decided to team up with Kyrie Irving in the East in 2019 after his dramatic exit from the Warriors. During an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast in 2020, KD pinpointed the exact moment he checked out of the Dubs’ cause.
During Golden State’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers in November of 2019, Draymond Green ended up winning a rebound ahead of KD. However, instead of passing the ball to ‘the Slim Reaper’ on the offensive end, which was the obvious move to make, Green ended up going for a shot himself and turning the ball over. This confused Durant more than it upset him, because after refusing to pass the ball to the greatest scorer in the team, Green started throwing tantrums on the sidelines after the game went to overtime.
KD detailed his grievances during a 2020 appearance on All the Smoke podcast, “And then when we came back[to the bench], I just heard him[Green] screaming… And for him to say that type of sh*t to me just threw me for a loop. And I just started isolating myself after that, because I didn’t feel – they suspended Draymond. But it was just like they had to so it wouldn’t look bad to everybody else. And then nobody talked to me about it…It was just swept under the rug.”
Durant felt that that incident was the beginning of the end of his Warriors stint. A clip of the incident recently resurfaced on Reddit, reminding fans of the play that set off a drastic turn of events. The historic Warriors side would secure the 2022 NBA Championship following the two-time Finals MVP’s departure from the team.
Green had to sacrifice his game after KD’s arrival
Durant’s arrival in Golden State increased the teams firepower exponentially. However, the presence of an elite scorer on the hardwood necessitated sacrifices from other players on the offensive end.
As a result, Draymond Green had to bid farewell to his three-point shooting completely, especially with KD and the Splash brothers on the floor. However, it is uncertain whether Green’s outburst against the Sniper was prompted by his pent up frustrations regarding his role in the team.
