Kevin Durant's decision to join the reigning champion Golden State Warriors as an unrestricted free agent in 2016 yielded immediate dividends. In three seasons with the franchise, he captured two championships, received two NBA Finals MVP awards, and made three All-Star Games. Suffice to say, the veteran superstar stamped his mark on the league's most recent dynasty.
In a recent interview with The Ringer, Durant discussed his tenure with the Warriors and 15-year career, and candidly argued why his No. 35 should be retired and hanging in the Chase Center rafters. Hall of Fame sharpshooter and team legend Chris Mullin recently weighed in on this jersey retirement debate, and said it should "100-percent" happen. But how does Durant's former Warriors teammate, Draymond Green, feel about the conversation?
"I'm upset at KD for even talking about it. What KD brought to this franchise, I'm not even going to talk about that or discuss that," Green explained to the Maggie and Perloff show on Wednesday. "Some things are just a given, and you leave them right where they are -- and that's one of them... I don't really need to beat a dead horse. Durant getting his jersey retired -- is that even a discussion? Is that a realistic thing?
"Is KD not getting his jersey retired in Golden State even a possibility? I don't think so, and I don't like to waste my time. And I feel like talking about Durant getting his jersey retired in Golden State is a total waste of my time. This man won two Finals MVPs and two championships. I don't care if he was here for only those two years. You win two NBA Finals MVPs and two championships, discussion over."
Durant, who left the Warriors following the 2019 campaign, has spent the last three years with the Brooklyn Nets, looking to capture a third championship. In 52 games this season, the 33-year-old has averaged 29.9 points per game -- his highest mark since 2014 -- with 7.3 boards and a career-high 6.1 assists. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, Brooklyn (41-38) has a 67-percent chance to make the playoffs, but just a 2-percent chance to reach the Finals.
As for Green and the Warriors, they've clinched a West playoff spot with their seventh 50-win season since 2013. With three games remaining on the slate, FiveThirtyEight projects them to finish 52-30, and their 11-percent chance to reach the Finals for the first time since Durant was there ranks eighth-best in the NBA. Green's been limited to 43 games this season, due to a back injury.
The entire NBA conversation between Green and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.
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