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Draymond Green made it clear he wasn’t a fan of Kevin Durant’s recent comments about what it takes to win a championship.
The Golden State Warriors veteran responded after Durant suggested that scoring, not defense, is the real key to taking home a title, TheBig Lead reports. The clip, which appeared in Netflix’s “Starting 5” series, showed Durant insisting that offense outweighs everything else when the stakes are highest.
“You have to score baskets if you want to win a championship,” Durant said. “Playing defense, we can get any of y’all in here to bend your legs… that’s easy.”
He went on to add, “When you talk about winning at a high level, against the best of the best, you cannot just do that and win a basketball game. You have to make shots.”
The take immediately caught fire online. Many fans called it one of Durant’s weakest opinions, arguing that his own success came from playing on one of the most balanced teams ever assembled. Others highlighted how his championship years with Golden State thrived on both ends of the floor, not just on scoring.
“Yeah this is easily one of kds worse takes. Scoring more than you give up is how you win championships. But saying anyone can play defense is not true.” – an X user wrote.
Green Stands by Defense
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Green addressed the remarks directly, emphasizing that defense is the foundation of every title-winning roster.
“I think when you look at any team that won a championship, they had a great defense,” Green said. “And if you look at most teams that couldn’t quite get over the hump, oftentimes it’s because they couldn’t get stops. That fact still remains.”
He added, “Those who don’t believe defense is as valuable as it is, they simply just don’t win. I don’t think anyone’s ever really been hell-bent on caring about the opinion of those that don’t win, because your opinion equals zero.”
Green’s comments carried extra weight given his and Durant’s shared history. They dominated together from 2016 to 2019, winning two championships and making three straight Finals. The Warriors’ formula was simple: Green, Andre Iguodala, and Klay Thompson anchored the defense while Durant and Stephen Curry took care of the scoring.
A Familiar Contrast
Now years removed from their partnership, the two stars see the game differently. Durant’s Phoenix Suns struggled defensively last season and failed to make the playoffs, Complex reports. The Warriors, meanwhile, remain competitive but have slipped on defense in back-to-back losses to Milwaukee and Indiana.
Green admitted he was surprised by Durant’s statement at first. “If anything, it was like a head-scratcher,” he said. “I was like, ‘Huh?’ But on the flip side, it wasn’t that much of a head-scratcher because I know Kevin. I didn’t see the whole context, so I also know that words get flipped. But I read what he said.”
Even with differing philosophies, both players are still chasing another championship. Durant’s comments sparked debate across the league, but Draymond Green’s reminder stood firm: elite teams don’t just score their way to history, they stop the other side from doing the same.
Burtland Dixon Burtland Dixon is a sports journalist covering the NBA and athlete culture for Heavy.com. A former Division II athlete turned journalist, he offers a unique blend of locker room perspective and storytelling expertise. He has more than eight years of experience in digital media and previously served as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with additional bylines at Idolator, Trend Chaser, and Buzznet. Burtland is based between California and New York. More about Burtland Dixon
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