Kevin Durant made headlines this past week by suggesting that he belongs in the NBA’s GOAT conversation. Durant argued he’s done everything there is to in pro basketball to warrant being in the same rarefied air as Michael Jordan, LeBron James and others in the debate over the best to ever do it.
Draymond Green – who shared a locker room with Durant for three seasons in Golden State – has offered his two cents on why his former teammate doesn’t belong in the GOAT talk, admitting on “The Draymond Green Show” that Durant still needs to spearhead a team to a championship much like Stephen Curry’s heroics in 2022.
“Steph didn’t get the credit he gets today until 2022 when he led this [Warriors] team to a championship and won the Finals MVP,” Green said. “So, if you’re not giving Steph that credit, which people didn’t… as a fan of basketball, I’ve seen Steph do everything. But what he did in 2022 – he took steps up [the GOAT ladder] for me. That’s when I was like, ‘He’s up in there in that conversation now.’
“You gotta go do what Steph did – to get to that conversation, in my opinion,” Green added.
Green admittedly still respects Durant for taking pride in his accomplishments, pointing to the time he received flak for declaring himself the greatest defensive player in NBA history. As such, Green doesn’t have an issue with “Easy Money Sniper” commanding more respect from his peers, fans and media members, but still concedes Durant has a ways to go before being seen in the same light as Curry.
While making his GOAT case, Durant stressed that his achievements have regularly been downplayed due to his decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Green disagreed with the sentiment, giving Durant props for raising his defensive prowess and for helping Warriors win two titles in 2017 and 2018.
“This whole he [Durant] ain’t got real championships — stop,” Green exclaimed.
