In this interview-style conversation, Draymond Green recounts his on‑court interactions and off‑court relationship with Kevin Durant, tracing it from their early matchups when Green was a second‑round rookie trying to prove himself, through moments of heated banter during games, a public suspension incident involving Jusuf Nurkić, and a candid off‑season face‑to‑face talk that led to mutual understanding. Green describes the competitive fire of trying to make Durant's life difficult, the back‑and‑forth trash‑talk that turned into a source of enjoyment, and the deep impact of Durant’s public praise on Green’s personal growth. The dialogue also expands to broader themes of peer validation versus media approval, the respect athletes have for each other despite rivalries, and how admiration, jealousy, and acknowledgment shape a player’s identity within the NBA community.
Chapters
I saw you and KD, I saw you hit the 3 and you said something to KD and then he hit the 3 on you and y'all was, man, y'all was chopping.
And then I shot the first 3B on the left wing and it felt so good. And Matt Ishby and Mo Kleeze, OG.
Yeah, yeah, them your peoples.
Matt Ishby, my spark dog. Them your peoples. I shoot the first one on the wing and I got K in front of me, I got them 2. Sitting right in courtside behind me. And so I'm like, oh, I'm about to hit this 3 and I'm about to say something to K. And then I'm about to turn around and I'm about to say something to Ish and I'm about to say something to Mo Kleeve. Right? I've missed it.
I'm like, ah!
So we come back down the court and I get to Tracy in the right corner. And K kind of closed out, but not aggressively closed out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so I hit the 3 and I'm like, "Yeah, motherfucker, you better close. I ain't missed the 2 in a row, K, you better close it." So then he started laughing. So then my dumb ass go help in. I go help in, they hit K in the corner. K 7 feet, you not affecting him with no shot contest, Nate. I come flying out, I give my corner contest, pow! He like, "All right, now you know I shoot that motherfucker too now." Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And the banter, the banter was so good, man. And we was bantering back and forth the whole game. And it was great banter, man. I enjoyed it. Yeah. When I get the opportunity to play against K, and it goes back to my rookie year when KD had 54 on us and I got threw in that fire late because he was dragging Harrison Barnes and dragging a couple other guys. And then I got threw into that fire that was already blazing and he continued on on his way. Yeah. 54, I remember those, I still remember those matchups. And I remember the feeling that I had when I was going into those matchups. I wasn't Draymond Green, who's been a Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Star, an NBA champion. I was Draymond Green, second round pick, trying to make a name for myself. And the opportunity to play against Kevin Durant was one that I cherish because I have an opportunity right in front of me to go up against the game greats. Mm-hmm.— and one of the greats. And when I would have the opportunity, it'd be like, man, this is my chance to show that I belong on this court with these types of guys. And if I can just make it hard on him, nobody's expecting me to come out and lock Kevin Durant. But if I can make it hard on him, like, man, I did my job tonight.
That's important.
So I still think about those matchups and where I was then. To be who I am now, I still have that same sentiment when I go on the court. And when I go on the court and I play against Kevin Durant, I'm like, yo, I gotta sit down. Like, because it's also an opportunity for me still to this day to see where I am defensively. Can I keep up with the KD? Can I make it a little tough?
For sure.
And so just having that battle, that banter was great, man. And I enjoyed the hell out of it.
I mean, he has some great stuff to say about you.
When Draymond's at his best, it's like a good balance between being ultra-aggressive and being on edge and also just being a cerebral monster that he is. And I think he's found that balance even better. I feel like he always had it. Sometimes you tip the scales a bit, and I think he's found that balance as he's getting older, as he experienced more things in the league, more things in life in general. And you can just tell by the start of this season that, you know, he's playing his best ball. He's shooting the basketball well this year. I think over 40%. You know, so you just tell, man, he just, all his experiences up until this time has just helped him out and made him the player he is today.
Man, when I actually saw this quote after the game, I think the next day, and I was thankful. I was thankful. I was appreciative because And I am always someone that addresses things head on. Last year I got suspended with stuff with Nurkic and KD said something that I didn't like because I was like, damn, K got my number. Like you're gonna go out publicly and feed this narrative of like, yo, I hope he get the help he need. I was upset about it and I felt a way and I was pissed and you know, I saw KD in the off season and we chopped it up. We chopped it up. And man to man, face to face, we chopped it up. And I told him how I felt. He told me how he felt. And that damn, I ain't think that would be seen that way. Yeah, he didn't. I didn't think that would be taken that way. You know what I'm saying? And we talked about it. And then for him to come out and say this, When you share disdain with something for someone, with something that someone does, when you share that, don't be a hypocrite. And when they say something well, you don't appreciate that. You know what I'm saying? Because when he said that, most things that men, most, many things that most people say, they don't bother me. They don't affect me. I really don't give a damn. Right. KD is someone though. KD say something, I care. Yeah, no, that's true. I cared a lot when he said that about me last year. I'm not a hypocrite that's gonna sit here and say I don't care a lot that he said this. I care a lot that he said this.
Yeah.
And it means a lot to me and my personal growth. But also anytime you hear from your peers.
Man, that's the best thing in the world. And especially the world, bro.
That are as great as a Kevin Durant.
Come on, yeah.
And you hear him say, the cerebral monster that he is.
Mm-hmm.
He's playing his best basketball. He's found that balance of ultra-aggressive and on the edge, but boom. When you hear that from your peers, especially one that you've gone to war with, won a championship with, and one opinion that really matters to you—
You know what it is.
I was extremely appreciative of this comment, um, because it also is validation to me of the things that you are working on are showing. You know what I'm saying? KD, I said last year, KD was always, he was someone that would say to me, when people would say, "Yo, that's just Draymond being Draymond," he'd be like, "No, sometimes people give you that excuse." And he said these words to me verbatim before.
Yeah.
He said, "Yo, sometimes people give you the excuse to like, that's just Draymond being Draymond, but I know what Draymond looked like at his best." He said those words to me verbatim.
Wow.
Right? And so, to hear him say this as someone who I know will call me on my bullshit. You know what I'm saying?
As someone who I know—
That's your homie.
That's your brother.
That ain't just you being Draymond. That's you bullshitting.
Yeah.
As someone who I know would say that, because he has said that to me. For him to say this, it really meant a lot to me because it's your brother approving of what he see from you. But also, and just my personal growth and my personal journey, for him to see that. He saw when it was fucked up and he said it.
Yeah.
So, and we don't like when people say bad things about us.
Man.
And he see it when it's going well and he said it. And I respect that. I appreciate that because again, you say what you want about Kevin Durant. He is Kevin Durant. He is one of the stars of not only his generation, but the ultimate.
He is the star of the shit, dude. Absolutely.
I was very appreciative.
Somebody built Kevin Durant in a MyPlayer before he was born.
Yeah.
And he wound up being Kevin Durant.
I'm gonna take this guy, I'm gonna make my guys, I'm gonna create my player. He gonna be 7 feet, he gonna be 7'9".
7 feet, he gonna be 7'9".
2'3". 2'3".
Come on, y'all. But I love this because, you know, you play your whole career, when you have, you know, cross admiration for the dudes you compete against.
Absolutely.
Even the dudes you may deem you don't like or may not like. Like remember when we was having Rondo, we was having a conversation with Rondo. It was like, man, I don't like Rondo. Why I don't like Rondo is because I love Rondo and I wanna play like Rondo. I'm mad he gets layups. I'm mad he, you know what I mean? But it's all in admiration. —until you really get a chance to like see somebody give flowers. Ain't not a lot of flowers being given out when you playing in the, when you in the trenches with people because you just don't wanna give somebody that edge. And so any type of acknowledgement from your peers, especially the greats, especially the real ones, right? Yeah. For me, I started learning to like accept that. Hold on, man. Like, damn, that's how, you know, 'cause I love talking about great players, right? And whether before you may have heard like, ah, I don't wanna talk about him. Now, man, I just respect damn near every player in the league except for a few because it's like, it's so hard to get there. But like, they were great. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
They were like, Like their greatness was great in like every day they showed up to practice, whether you are a bench player, whether you're a superstar. Now the superstars, they hold a lot more credence. And so when they talking about you and you walk in that room and they like, they know you, you know what I mean? Them your brothers, they know you, you know what I mean? And so that just put a whole different type of battery pack. But I think it's also validation. A lot of times because you don't get the flowers. Why? Like Draymond Green ain't getting the flowers that he deserve right now. LeBron James ain't getting the flowers he deserve. Steph Curry ain't getting the flowers he deserve. That's right. You gotta be honest. Kevin Durant ain't getting the flowers he deserve. Come on, bro. It's like you, when you play, you are, nobody's ever like the kids. You know what I mean? The kids gonna love you. But the media to me has never been the validation. No. It's always your peers. Draymond Green. Yeah, it's always your peers. But that's why I love like doing media now because now you got podcasters and former athletes and retired dudes. Like we know the game and we know who is real and we know who not real, you know? And so like having that admiration, shout out to KD, you know, for just big upping you, right?
I appreciate it, Draymond Green, man.
And letting people know, yeah, letting people know like what it really is, right? 'Cause a lot of times the media, y'all be playing games and, you know, these are bonds and brotherhoods and, you know, we our own little tight-knit community. So, you know, it's just like that, like giving you your flowers in this moment, in this time, it was really dope.
Nah, it was fire. I appreciated the hell out of it. Like I said, to your Rondo point, that was always me with Chris Paul before I played with CP, where I'm like, yo, I hate dude. Like, but I would tell all my boys like, yo, I don't mess with him at all, but I got the utmost respect for him as a competitor. I'm like, even when I didn't like C, when we was at odds, Yep. I said publicly like, yo, people try to say CP not a winner. That's just not true. Like—
That's crazy.
You try to say this man not a winner because he hasn't had the luck to win a championship. Follow what I said. Because he has not had the luck of winning a championship. And you try to say this guy not a winner. I know a loser and I know a winner. And when I play against this guy, I'm not playing against a loser. I am competing against one of the— ultimate winners.
Right.
And, but I hated him. You know what I'm saying? But a part of the hate was, bro, you be doing some of that shit I be doing and I don't really like that. I don't like it. You know what I'm saying? Like, bro, you be doing some of that stuff I be doing on the court, bro.
And he can get away with it.
And he get away with it. So a part of it is like a little bit of jealousy. Like, man, y'all letting CP get away with this. I can't get away with nothing, right? Like—
CP, tap in.
Aberration is, But the way this man compete when he on the court.
Yeah.
Like, I remember my rookie year with Jared Jack and CP played together in New Orleans. Jared Jack is my vet. And CP and Jack got into words, got into an argument. And right there I was like, that's interesting because they tight. Like, I know they got a relationship.
Mm-hmm.
And they going back and forth, like arguing. And right then was when I noticed like, okay, I see what type of dudes he is. You know what I'm saying? He don't care. I like you or not, he gonna try to take you out when he playing against you. And it is what it is.
It is what it is.
And so I definitely understand, you know, I agree with you on that. And that was a great moment for me. I ain't gonna lie. I'm not gonna sit here and act like I'm too big to appreciate a compliment like that from Kevin Durant.
