The regular season is still 11 days away, but Draymond Green has already had enough of the consistent criticism regarding new teammate Kevin Durant.
Green blasted Paul Pierce and others during a media session on Thursday, telling critics to “give it a break” when it comes to judging Durant for his decision to join the Warriors this offseason.
Pierce’s recent comments on SiriusXM NBA Radio prompted the outburst, when the Los Angeles Clippers forward said, among other things, “When you’re that close as a competitor, you don’t go and join the team that pushed you out.”
“I’m an old-school guy. I’m a competitor. … When you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” the 18-year veteran continued. “That’s always been something that’s driven me. Today’s day and age, a lot of these guys are friends. That’s like if [Larry] Bird decided to go play with Magic [Johnson] or something. These guys, I think the competition makes the game what it is.
“And Oklahoma, I felt like, was a contending team. They had Golden State on the ropes. I understand when you have great players on losing teams who are tired of losing, struggling in the playoffs every year. You’re the lone star. I’ve been in that position. I could have left Boston years ago, but I stuck it out [and won a championship in 2008].”
There is some irony in Pierce making a comment like that, considering he didn’t win a title in Boston until fellow hall of famer’s Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined the team for the 2007-08 season.
You could also make the case that Pierce has been chasing a ring, unsuccessfully, ever since, joining up with young stars John Wall and Bradley Beal in Washington, before joining a trio of stars in Los Angeles last season.
Green did not mince words in his response.
“I just wonder at what point do they get bored, talking about the same thing,” Green told reporters “You’ve got all these guys coming out talking, like Pierce. Dude, nobody cares what you did or who you did it for. Give it a break.”
“Everybody’s got something to say, and then they want to take everything (Durant) says and twist it. He plays with the Warriors. OKC has their team; we have our team. All right? He left there.”
He also made an interesting comparison between NBA athletes and Silicon Valley CEOs.
“Nobody complains when somebody leaves Apple and goes to Google,” Green said. “Aren’t they in competition with each other? Nobody talks junk about the CEO that leaves Apple and goes to Google.
“As a basketball player, you’re a CEO of your business. You are a business, and Kevin Durant is a big business. He’s the CEO of that business. So, him going to play basketball for a different team…the CEO decided to leave where he was at and go somewhere else.”
“But there are so many guys in this league that are so stupid, they don’t eve think like that. They don’t think business-wise, when it happens every day in the world. But in basketball it’s a problem. Aren’t you competitive in your day job if you work for Apple? Don’t you want to outdo Google? What’s the difference on the basketball court? It’s your day job. You want to outdo the competitor.”
“I gave you guys some good quotes, didn’t I? I want to see that blow up.”