Much has been made about Kevin Durant getting his jersey retired — both by the Oklahoma City Thunder and by the Golden State Warriors. Draymond Green has now chimed in on the debate and in his mind, it is clear which side he is taking here.
In a recent interview on CBS Sports Radio, Green admitted that he isn't happy about all this jersey retirement talk. According to the Dubs star, this issue shouldn't even be up for discussion:
“I'm upset at KD for even talking about that,” Green admitted. “I mean, what KD cam and brought to this franchise, I'm not going to even talk about that or discuss that. Some things are just a given and you leave them right where they are. And that is one of them.”
In a previous interview, Durant made his stance abundantly clear. He knows what he brought to the Thunder and the Warriors franchises and there is no doubt in his mind that he should get his jersey retired by both teams:
“Every one of these places I played is my home,” Durant said. “I can imagine me when I’m done, and I don’t think any one of these franchises would be like, ‘No, K, what you did here is not a part of our history.’’
“OKC has to retire my jersey,” KD continued. “It wouldn’t even be good for the game of basketball if they didn’t. The same with Golden State.”
There is very little doubt, if any, as to whether or not the Thunder should retire Durant's jersey. His stature with the Warriors, however, is a bit more contentious. The fact that KD spent just two years with the Dubs is probably the biggest hesitation some folks have about KD getting his jersey retired in Golden State.
For his part, however, Green is having none of this slander. When prompted to explain his response, the Dubs talisman explained that it is his belief that the Warriors must honor KD for all that he has done for the franchise, regardless of how brief his tenure might be:
“I just don't need to beat a dead horse,” Green said. “Kevin Durant getting his jersey retired — is that even a discussion? Is that like a realistic thing? Is Kevin Durant NOT getting his jersey retired in Golden State even a possibility? I don't think so, and I don't like to waste my time. I feel like talking about Kevin Durant getting his jersey retired in Golden State is a total waste of time.
“The man won two Finals MVP, two championships, like, I don't care if he was here for only those two years. You win two Finals MVP, two championships, discussion over.”
Green was also asked to share his thoughts on KD's jersey being retired by the Thunder. The Warriors star got brutally honest with his response:
“I think that's even more ridiculous,” he said. “I think that's even more ridicilous than the Golden State Warriors one.”
It's hard to argue against Green here. We all know how he and Durant had an infamous spat during their time together as teammates, but it is clear that they have now put this issue behind them. There is nothing but respect between these two all-time greats.
Follow Us
Subscribe