Getty Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins were engaged in a battle of words.
Over the last three years with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant helped lead them to three straight NBA Finals appearances. He would earn back to back Finals MVP nods in 2016–2018. However, the turning point of the Warriors 2018-19 happened on November 13, 2018. Warriors All-Stars Kevin Durant and Draymond Green can be seen arguing on the bench at the end of regulation against the Los Angeles Clippers. Green decided to dribble the ball up the court to try to beat the clock and lost the ball in the closing seconds. During that sequence, Durant was calling for the ball to attempt a game-winner.
The argument on the bench got to the point where Warriors guard Klay Thompson had to get up and sit in between the two while Andre Iguodala walked up with back toward the camera to try to shield argument from being recorded. According to Chris Hayes of Yahoo Sports reported Green told Kevin Durant, “You’re a b****, and you know you’re a b***.” and dared KD Kevin Durant to leave this summer in [2019]. “We don’t need you. We won without you. Leave.”
This would later lead to a suspension for green. After Green returned from his suspension, he spoke to the media and revealed that he and Kevin had spoken, and they weren’t going to crumble after an argument.
Kevin and I spoke, we’re moving forward,” said Green.
“It’s no secret I am an emotional player, I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and I play with those same emotions. Sometimes they get the best of me, and it doesn’t work to my favor. I’m gonna live with that. My resume speaks, and this team’s resume speaks more so than it doesn’t. I’m never gonna change who I am; I’m gonna approach the game the way that I always do, and like I said before, we’ll continue to move forward.”
Draymond Green: “We’re not gonna crumble off an argument. We move forward.”
Kevin would later note the incident with Green played a factor in his decision to leave Golden State this past summer for Brooklyn, according to Sports Illustrated’s Dan Gartland.
Warriors’ Steve Kerr was not Surprised Kevin Durant Left
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was recently on the Posted up Podcast with Chris Haynes presented by Yahoo Sports. During the interview, Haynes asked Kerr was he surprised that KD [Kevin Durant] left? No, Kerr replied. Why was he not surprised?
“We could just feel it last year. He sort of faded away from the group by the end of the year and just have a feeling about things. We never discussed his free agency that wasn’t my business even though I was his coach,” said Kerr. “I was focused on that season, and I wanted our whole to focus on that season. That was every effort of our staff going into trying to lock-in on the season we were playing and whatever player does in free-agency to him. So, I totally respected Kevin’s right to make a new path for himself in life. I think the main thing now is that we just want him to be healthy.”
Durant is still recovering for an Achille injury that he suffered in Game five of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Raptors.
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Warriors’ Steve Kerr Not Surprise Nets’ Kevin Durant Left in Free Agency