The long-simmering tension between former Golden State Warriors teammates Draymond Green and Kevin Durant flared publicly again Tuesday, with Green delivering a blistering takedown of Durant’s recent assertion that offense is the primary driver of NBA championships.
Green, the defensive lynchpin of the Warriors’ dynasty, did not mince words, essentially dismissing the opinion of the Houston Rockets superstar as irrelevant because Durant has not won a title without a historically great defensive team around him.
And the offense was???? https://t.co/SV6zo7dSUp
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) November 4, 2025
The feud originated with Durant’s earlier comment suggesting that offensive talent, rather than rugged defense, is what ultimately separates champions from contenders. When a reporter presented this theory to Green, the Warriors forward immediately fired back.
“Those who don’t believe defense is as valuable as it is, they simply just don’t win,” Green said. He then delivered the ultimate personal shot: “I don’t think anyone’s ever really been hell-bent on caring about the opinion of those that don’t win, because your opinion equals zero.”
I know how ‘K’ thinks about the game of basketball. Like, I know that there are some all time greats — alll-tiimmee greats; I mean, like some of the elite of the elite — who don’t quite have what Kevin would consider an offensive bag and he doesn’t really think that player is as great as the masses may think, because of how he views the game.
Defense vs. Offense: The Warriors Context
When the reporter reminded Green that Durant had, in fact, won two championships, Green conceded the point but swiftly reframed the context. He argued that Durant’s two rings came during his tenure with the Warriors—a team that featured an elite, spectacular defense anchored by Green himself. The implication was clear: Durant’s rings were a product of the defensive structure he left behind.
“He won here, [and] the defense here was incredible,” Green emphasized, highlighting the necessity of a top-tier defense to support even the most prolific offense.
The exchange immediately resonated with fans who have followed the complicated relationship between the two players since their famous 2018 on-court argument and Durant’s subsequent departure for the Brooklyn Nets.
Social Media Declares War
The defensive purists on social media rallied behind Green, often pointing out Durant’s lack of postseason success since leaving the Warriors’ defensive core.
