![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="441" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
It seemed as though everything was perfect in the Golden State Warriors’ world in November of 2018. Just five months prior the team had swept LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to win back-to-back NBA titles and the organizations’ third championship in the last four years. The Warriors seemed primed for another championship the following year. Coming into Staples Center on November 12, 2018, the Warriors had a record of 11-2 and had been running through the league with ease. But what happened next, changed the course of Warriors history forever.
In the waning seconds of the 4th quarter versus the Clippers, Warriors forward Draymond Green got the rebound with the score tied at 106 and a chance to win the game. Kevin Durant, who had come up clutch for the Warriors before clapped at Green to call for the ball. Draymond ignored Durant’s call and turned the ball over at the end of regulation which led to a public blow-up between the two teammates on the bench that entirely changed the course of the Warriors season.
The latest Nets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Nets newsletter here!
KD & Draymond Green Blame Kerr, Meyers for 2018 Fallout
For the first time since his departure from Golden State, Green and KD sat down for a one on one on the Warriors forward’s new show Chips to discuss if that incident is what ultimately caused Durant to leave the Bay and join the Brooklyn Nets. According to the two-time NBA Finals MVP, it wasn’t the incident itself that upset him as much as the way that it was handled by the Warriors front office.
“It wasn’t the argument it was the way that everybody — Steve Kerr acted like it never happened. Bob Meyers tried to discipline you and think that would put the mask over everything,” Durant said.
“I really felt like that was such a big situation for us as a group — the first time that we went through something like that, we had to get that shit all out. I remember watching The Last Dance and when Scottie [Pippen] didn’t go into the game, the whole team in the locker room and said “Scottie that was f***** up that you did that.”
“We needed to just throw all of that s*** on the table and say yo Dray, K that was fucked up that we even had to go through that let’s just wipe our hands with that and go finish the task.”
Follow the Heavy on Nets Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content out of Brooklyn!
Draymond Details Why the Warriors Suspended Him
According to Chris B Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Green called KD a b**** several times in the Warriors’ huddle and even mentioned his upcoming contract situation, imploring him to leave because the Warriors had already won the title without him in 2015. Green’s actions caused Bob Meyers and the Warriors front office to suspend him for the following game. Green details that what ultimately caused the suspension was when he refused Kerr and Meyer’s demand for him to apologize to Durant.
” For an hour and 45 minutes they tried to tell me “you need to apologize”, and I told them, I’ll talk to K, but ya’ll aren’t going to tell me what I need to say. And you know they went on for an hour and 45 minutes saying a bunch of b****** and ultimately they realized, alright we aren’t getting through to him, we’re going to try again in the morning. And we met the next morning and said “alright you slept on it are you ready to apologize?” And I told them right then and there and I said Ya’ll about to f*** this up. I said the only person that can make this right is me and K.
Ultimately the Warriors fell short of their goal of a three-peat after Durant injured his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals. That same summer during free agency, Durant left Golden State to join the Brooklyn Nets. How many titles the Warriors would have won if that argument in Staples Center in November 2018 never happened continues to be one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history.
READ NEXT: Nets Star Goes Viral for Exchange With Fan at Hoops Game [WATCH]
0 Comments