Draymond Green has never been shy about speaking his mind, especially when it comes to defending his teammates-past or present. So whenLeBron James recently called out the toxicity of ring culture, Green didn’t just agree. He used the moment to make a bigger point about someone he knows very well: Kevin Durant.
Green’s take wasn’t just about how the media tears down legends who never won a ring-guys like Charles Barkley or Allen Iverson. Instead, he flipped the narrative. What about the ones who did win it all… but still get criticized for how they did it?
That’s where Durant comes in. On a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Green didn’t mince words: “It’s so hard to win a ring. Our teams made it look so easy that people say Kevin Durant just went over there and walked to a ring… Without Kevin Durant, I don’t know if we was going to win another championship.”
It’s a powerful statement from a guy who lived through the 2016 collapse and everything that followed. The Warriors didn’t just recruit KD-they needed him. And Durant delivered. Two rings. Two Finals MVPs. Back-to-back dominance. Still, a large chunk of the basketball world treats those titles like they come with an asterisk.
The Double Standard in Ring Culture
The irony is hard to ignore. If a star player doesn’t win, it’s held against him. But if he joins a powerhouse and wins? Still not good enough. Durant’s move to the Warriors was seen by many as taking the easy road, but Green argues the opposite: “We didn’t walk. He didn’t come and walk to a ring.”
Their infamous spat during the 2018 season is often cited as a reason for KD’s eventual departure, but Green now downplays its importance. “A little part,” he called it. Not enough to erase what they accomplished together.
Durant’s legacy, though, continues to be filtered through a lens of contradiction. As Stephen A. Smith recently pointed out, fans respect commitment and growth-but Durant showed both in Golden State. He played through injury, performed under pressure, and outshined everyone in the biggest games.
So why does it still feel like he’s being judged more for how he won than that he won?
Maybe the answer isn’t just in stats or rings. Maybe, like Green and James have suggested, it’s time to start asking better questions about what greatness actually looks like in today’s NBA.
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