Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty ImagesPhoenix Suns star Kevin Durant explained Monday what his intent was when he commented on Golden State Warriors forward and former teammate Draymond Green's suspension last month.
Speaking to reporters (h/t ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk) after the Suns' 138-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Durant divulged why he said last month that he hoped Green would get "the help he needs," and made it clear he didn't mean anything negative by it:
Law Murray 🧽 @LawMurrayTheNUKevin Durant says that he is happy that Draymond Green is back while saying: "I didn't mean no ill will about what I said. I know some people look at me as this malicious snake. Passive aggressive. I know how people feel about me sometimes." <a href="https://t.co/vxPrI47W6N">pic.twitter.com/vxPrI47W6N</a>
"You got to look at it from my perspective, like before I had made those comments, [people were] saying Draymond's going to therapy and s--t. Like what am I supposed to think? They say somebody going to therapy, I'm hoping he gets better from that, and hope he learned from whatever he feels like he needs to learn from going to therapy.
"I'm glad he's back. I'm glad he can move past that. Draymond is an incredible teammate. He got his times where he loses temper, but everybody has those times and I'm sure they all [are] happy to have him back. But I didn't mean no ill will by what I said. I know some people look at me as this malicious snake, passive aggressive. I know how people feel about me sometimes, so when I say s--t, I don't mean no harm by nobody. I don't mean to disrespect him or his family if he felt that way. I'm just glad he's back on the court."
The NBA suspended Green indefinitely last month after multiple ejections. The last straw occurred during a game against the Suns when Green struck center Jusuf Nurkić in the face.
Green, who was reinstated Saturday after meeting conditions laid down by the league, spoke this week on the Draymond Green Show about his return and everything surrounding his suspension.
Draymond addressed the comments made by Durant (h/t Youngmisuk) and noted that while they initially angered him, he had a different perspective after thinking about it:
"I'll tell you it really pissed me off when Kevin Durant said, '[Green] wasn't like that when I was around [him and] I hope he gets the help he needs.' And then I start going into this deep dive. ... I went back to Kevin Durant's statement ... as I sat with myself, I said, 'I think it is time that the world gets to know me, who I am. And if I can look at Kevin's statement the right way, through the right mindset, through the right lens, he is acknowledging essentially what I want the world to know about me.'"
Green went on to say that he may have erred at first by viewing the word "help" negatively.
Durant and Green were teammates with the Warriors for three seasons from 2016-17 through 2018-19, and they enjoyed a great deal of success together, reaching the NBA Finals three times and winning two championships.
KD and Draymond had some public disagreements during their time as teammates, including a few sideline blowups, which led to speculation that Durant's decision to leave the Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets in free agency was because of Green.
Durant later admitted that his spat with Green did play a role in his departure, and Green took responsibility for the disagreement that led to him receiving a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.
While Durant and Green have long had something of a rocky relationship, they both appear to be on the same page now that Draymond's return to game action is imminent.
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