Green: Spat won’t hurt team
Volatile big man says he, Durant moving forward
Draymond gonna be Draymond, whether Kevin Durant likes it or not.
That was the gist of an awkward 2-minute and 20second ramble Warriors forward Draymond Green unfurled on Thursday, when he spoke publicly for the first time since engrossing the NBA with Monday’s on- and off-court arguments with Durant, his teammate of three seasons.
Their tiff happened at the end of regulation during Monday’s overtime loss to the Clippers. Durant yelled at Green for not passing him the ball with 6 seconds left in a tie game and then committing a turnover to end regulation.
Hours before the Warriors’ 107-86 loss to the Rockets at Toyota Center on Thursday, Green finished his shooting routine and shared a fist bump with Durant. The gesture suggested the two might have patched up their differences.
But Green’s far-ranging rant, which alluded to growing speculation that the prospective free agency of Durant and guard Klay Thompson is fomenting insecurity on the team, left questions about the nature of his tension and potential reconciliation with Durant unanswered — because he refused to take any questions about it.
Green sat down amid a scrum of reporters, removed an iPhone ear bud, and began to talk.
Now hear this
“I’m going to speak on this one time and one time only,” he said. “With what happened a few nights ago, Kevin and I spoke. We’re moving forward.”
Green did not directly address using a slur while speaking to Durant or the one-game suspension the Warriors gave him. Nor did he address an ESPN report that said he plans to appeal the $120,000 fine for his suspension.
Green explained that while his unapologetically emotional style of play might get him in trouble, it more often is a reason he and the Warriors succeed.
“I’m never going to change who I am. I’m going to approach the game the same way I always do,” he said. “We’re going to continue to move forward.”
Next, Green focused on theperception that he causes friction on the Warriors to the point it might persuade teammates to sign elsewhere in free agency.
“I’ve read a lot about, ‘Oh, is this the end of the run?’ Or, ‘Is it over?’ Or, ‘Did I ruin it?’ Or, ‘Did I force Kevin to leave?’ ” he said. “You know, at the end of the day, as I’ve said before, whatever Kevin decides to do, whatever Klay decides to do, whatever who decides to do, we had great years together. I support everybody wholeheartedly.”
Green wrapped up his comments by saying the clash with Durant will make the team grow closer.
“We’re not going to crumble off an argument,” Green said.
He then asserted that, if anything, the experience will make Golden State’s dynastic run more difficult for opponents to stop.
“Nobody in this organization — from a player, not myself, not Kevin, not anybody else — is going to beat us,” Green said. “So if you’re one of them other 29 teams in this league, you gotta beat us. We’re not going to beat us. We’re going to continue to do what we do.
“I apologize for ruining y’all’s stories, if it did. But if this only makes Kevin, myself, the rest of my teammates stronger, that’s what it’s going to do. You think you saw something before, good luck with us now.”
Green would not answer follow-up questions about his comments.
“Anybody want to talk about basketball?” Green replied. “I spoke on what I spoke about. If anyone wants to talk about basketball, I’ll take some basketball questions. But that’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
On Tuesday, Durant shirked questions about whether he and Green had reconciled.
“Nah,” Durant said, adding that he was “sure” they would at some point this season.
Kerr: ‘We’ll deal with it’
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he spoke to Green privately and to the team before Thursday’s morning shootaround, but he declined to disclose what he said. He added that any patchwork between Green and Durant was “private.”
“I’m not going to sit here and pretend everything is rosy tonight and everything is going to be fine,” Kerr said. “This will unfold, and we’re going to be fine and are going to be at full strength, and we’re going to be ready to roll. But we’re human like everybody else. We have to deal with stuff. So we’ll deal with it.”
Like Green, Kerr suggested the matter would not corrupt a team with one of the most revered cultures in the league.
“I know the character of the group,” said Kerr, who has coached the Warriors to three titles in four years. “I know the history of this group. It’s way too strong and way too powerful to be upended by the type of adversity that can hit any team in this league. We’re going to get through this.”
As Green exited the court, he paused to highfive Durant, who was practicing free throws.