Draymond Green explains why Kevin Durant isn’t in the NBA GOAT conversation

If there is anyone who can attest to why Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is or isn’t in the NBA’s GOAT (the greatest of all time) conversation, it’s Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. 

Not only have the two battled on numerous occasions throughout their careers, but they also spent three seasons as teammates. In a recent podcast episode, Green was blunt about Durant's status among the all-time greats.

The dialogue stems from an encounter Durant had with Duane Rankin, who covers the Suns for The Arizona Republic (subscription required). Rankin asked KD why he feels that he’s not more involved in the gossip that is the greatest of all time conversation and his response was candid.

“Because I went to the [Golden State] Warriors,” Durant told Rankin, h/t CBS Sports. He went on to ask the Suns insider: “What haven’t I done?” to be a viable GOAT candidate.

However, Green believes that the knock on the man also known as the “Slim Reaper” goes beyond his decision to join forces with a team that went 73-9 the season before his arrival.

Draymond Green speaks on Kevin Durant

Green recently agreed to a contract extension with The Volume Sports to continue his podcast series titled The Draymond Green Show, where he mentioned Durant and his case (or lack thereof) to be in the discussion as one of the greatest of all time.

The 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year prefaced his statement by saying: “I think KD is one of the greatest scorers we’ve ever seen,” but made sure to distinguish being an all-time great scorer and a GOAT candidate.

Green used his current teammate and former teammate of Durant, Stephen Curry, as an example.

“Steph didn’t get the credit that Steph gets today in 2022 when he led this team to a championship and won a Finals MVP,” he said. 

“You got to go do what Steph did,” Green added.

Curry led an outmatched Warriors team on a historic title run that resulted in him winning his fourth championship and first career Finals MVP. Durant was the main reason it took Curry as long as it did to get his first Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.

In three seasons with Golden State, Durant won two Finals MVPs en route to two NBA Championships with the Warriors.

However, Green and several others won't give Durant the credit he feels he deserves until he does it under more difficult circumstances.