The Golden State Warriors got off to a tumultuous start to the season when Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had a well-documented feud, and Green credits something Durant said to him around that time for helping him control his emotions.
Green has done a good job lately of avoiding technical fouls and confrontations with opponents, and he spoke with reporters about that on Sunday. That led to him voluntarily bringing up his issues with Durant, and he said Durant made a comment to him back in November that “kind of stuck with me.”
“It’s funny because when the stuff happened with Kevin earlier this year, he said, like, ‘Everybody is giving you this pass like, Oh, that’s just Draymond. He’s emotional,'” Green recalled, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“But (Durant) said to me then, like, ‘You’re not emotional. I’ve seen you lock in and not say a word to the referees. I’m not giving you that pass.’ That’s kind of stuck with me.”
Green still has four technical fouls this postseason, but Slater notes that he has not picked one up for arguing with an official in eight games. While that may not sound like much, it’s a pretty lengthy streak for Draymond.
Durant and Green went at it on the court back in November when Durant was upset that Green did not pass him the ball late in an overtime game. The frustration reportedly led to a heated exchange in the locker room, and Durant made it clear he was bothered by it.
Some believe that feud will ultimately contribute to Durant leaving the Warriors as a free agent this summer, but apparently something good came out of it for Green. If that helps Golden State win a third straight title, it was probably worth it.
