Kevin Durant’s stint with the Golden State Warriors was short but very successful. But he also had some troubles along the way, including a few with his teammates. On an episode of Out The Mud Podcast, KD reminisced over his infamous argument with Draymond Green.
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On January 6, 2017, the Warriors played against the Memphis Grizzlies. At the time, KD was only a few months old in the new setup and wasn’t used to the brand of basketball the Warriors played.
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, KD shot a deep three in a one-on-one play and missed. As per the 14-time All-Star, he was trying to replicate one of the moments he used to create for the OKC. He didn’t realize that the Warriors played a more team-oriented game where trying iso in crunch moments wouldn’t be appreciated.
He said, “Dray [Draymond Green] was like, ‘Nah, we don’t do that here right now, we just move the ball. We’ve been moving the ball whole game. We’ve been winning. You want to do this sh*t now.’” KD tried to convince the Warriors veteran that he had things under control, but it didn’t work. The game ended up going into overtime.
The Warriors were outscored 17-8 in overtime. Kevin Durant had a decent outing with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. However, Stephen Curry led the game in scoring with 40 points. Steph shot 15 of 27 from the field and despite that, KD tried to win the game for his team in the final seconds. Understandably, Green was not pleased. The two players butted heads a few more times after that as well.
Kevin Durant and Draymond Green sat down to clear their differences
As competitors, it’s often difficult for athletes to keep their cool in tough times during games. This results in fights or heated arguments between athletes. In November 2018, KD and Green had another heated moment on the court during a game against the LA Clippers. Many believe that this incident was the beginning of the end of KD’s time with the Warriors.
When they sat down to discuss their fallout on an episode of Chips, KD said that more than the argument, it was the Warriors’ reaction that made things worse. He said, “It wasn’t the argument, it was the way that…Steve Kerr acted like it didn’t happen.”
Durant believes the team should’ve acknowledged the heated verbal battle instead of sweeping it under the rug. The Warriors’ approach towards the drama ticked him off and eventually made him leave Golden State. As for the two athletes, they have moved past the incident and now share a great relationship.
