Draymond Green didn’t wait long after Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to begin recruiting Kevin Durant on behalf of the Golden State Warriors.
In fact, he may not have even crossed the 90-minute mark of patience.
ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe published a fascinating piece on how Green and the Warriors felt after he was suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals last year, a development most believe cost Golden State a chance at its second-straight title. Aside from reiterating that Green’s teammates stood behind him, he also unearthed this gem of an anecdote:
Green was already working on that as he left Oracle Arena after that gutting Game 7 loss. Green sat in his car in the parking lot and called Myers, telling him he had to sign Durant. “It’s on you,” Green told Myers.
Green hung up, stayed in the parking lot, and made another call — to Durant. “That was my very next call,” Green said. Two weeks later, Durant signed a maximum contract that put him in a Golden State uniform for at least one season, with several more seasons likely to come.
I mean, my god, Draymond.
That Green told Bob Myers “It’s on you” after the Warriors lost Game 7 is freaking ballsy. You’re the one who is on the court. You’re the one who was absent for Game 5, a clear turning point in the series. To say Myers has to get the job done on the Durant front is so brazen—and, obviously, so Draymond.
Overall, though, Green has a point. He shouldn’t feel too bad about what the Warriors didn’t do last season. Had they won the title, Durant would be in Oklahoma City, or San Antonio, or Boston, or somewhere else. By forfeiting one title, he and the Warriors have ensured themselves of a dynasty.
They’ll take that trade-off.
