Draymond Green has some thoughts.
That's nothing new in and of itself. Green has always spoken his mind, and even more since starting his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show."
On his most recent episode, the Warriors championship-winning forward spoke about the Kevin Durant trade rumors and the narrative that has been swirling on NBA Twitter and social media in general.
MORE: Who says no? Debating six potential Kevin Durant trade packages
Durant reportedly put in a trade request to the Nets. The move immediately generated backlash from fans — and some pundits — who perceived Durant lacking mental toughness for not wanting to stick it out with the team he joined as a free agent in 2019.
Green and Durant were teammates on Warriors championship teams in 2018 and 2019 but did not depart on the best of terms. Despite that, Green wants people to know that he doesn't understand their narratives surrounding the trade request.
"To start calling somebody weak and they run from challenges, that's baffling to me because that man has worked his entire life to be in that position to where he controls where he goes next," Green said.
"By the way, everyone in the NBA can't control where they go next. So, to be in that position and to have the opportunity to control what you do next, that's the American dream."
Green then posited an interesting analogy to those who believe Durant is weak and is running from his current situation rather than making an informed business decision for his career. He compared Durant's situation to that of a CEO switching corporations.
.@Money23Green on the double standards @KDTrey5 faces pic.twitter.com/NsnzziWQ1T
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) July 7, 2022
"If Kevin Durant says, 'I actually don't want to be here anymore, I want to go to somewhere else,' why does it matter? Why does that make you weak? Why does that make him — means he's running from something? I don't understand that," Green said.
"That's the next step in his career. . . . If someone leaves Google to go to Apple after three or four years, and then they leave Apple after two years to go to Tesla . . . no one is going to say that person ran."
While it may be unfair to compare the corporate world to the NBA, one thing is for sure: The discourse surrounding this topic will last until Durant's situation is resolved.
