Getty Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Durant
After the Golden State Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns, Draymond Green had some words for Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic. Green called those two out specifically on his own podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”
“(Nurkic) and Kevin (Durant) questioning my character before. As if you’re going to question somebody’s character about a basketball game, as if this is not real life, as if that don’t affect people’s pockets. I think all of it was really cowardly.” Green got to the point about both of them as people by saying, “I think they all wack. Both of them.”
Green said this several weeks after the league suspended him indefinitely for punching Nurkic in the face. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had their differences with the Warriors, though they won two championships together.
This could fuel an intense rivalry going forward between the Suns and Warriors. While the Suns are firmly in the playoff picture as the No. 6 seed, the Warriors have the No. 10 seed. If they meet up in the playoffs, the tension the players have with each other could make for one entertaining series.
Jusuf Nurkic Fires Shot at Draymond Green
After the Suns lost to the Warriors, Nurkic did not hold back when talking about Draymond Green.
“It’s sad. He didn’t learn anything, man. It’s just a matter of time. He’s gonna [hit] somebody else again, so I take everything back that I said. He don’t deserve a chance,” Nurkic told reporters, per Duane Rankin’s X account.
“It’s sad. He didn’t learn anything. Just a matter of time. He’s going to hit somebody else again. Take back everything I said. He don’t deserve a chance.”
Jusuf Nurkic on Draymond Green, who got suspended after hitting him in face Dec. 12.
“Antics. Try to hit people.” #Suns
The sentiment Nurkic would like to take back is when he said the Green needed help the very night the latter punched the former in the face.
“What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I’m glad he not try to choke me,” Nurkic told reporters on December 12, 2023.
Kevin Durant has not commented much on the situation since everything went down, but he may very well in future matchups between the division rivals.
Kevin Durant Calls Stephen Curry an ‘All-Time Great’
Despite all the issues going on with Draymond Green, Kevin Durant has not forgotten the talent of his former teammates. After Stephen Curry hit the game-winner to beat the Suns, Durant praised his former Warriors teammate.
“All-time, all-time great, the greatest ever at his position,” Durant told reporters, per Duane Rankins’ X account. “Top five ever. You give him a look like that for the game. He is licking his chops.”
Durant has won his only two championships as a player with Curry as a teammate. The difference between the two is that, since their partnership ended, Curry has won a title while Durant hasn’t even made a conference finals.
To add to that, Curry won the title and was within inches of winning another one before he teamed up with Durant. In Phoenix, Durant has the chance to prove he can win without Curry by his side.
Durant also gave his thoughts on what Green said to him after stopping the Warriors from winning the game in its final second.
“You can put hands on people late in the game like that. It is what it is, 0.6 seconds. It’s tough to get anything off.”