Warriors star Draymond Green has experienced the highest of highs during his 13-year NBA career, but one moment stands apart from the rest.
Golden State shocked the NBA world when it defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, and Green recently explained on "Dubs Talk" why it was the most rewarding moment from his time in the league.
"I think the sweetest moment for me was winning the championship in 2022," Green told NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole and Kerith Burke. "And the reason that was the sweetest moment for me was [that] I caught so much flak when [Kevin Durant] left. 'You ran KD off, you're an idiot.' Like, it's crazy that I caught flak for KD coming [to the Warriors]. 'You cried to KD to get him to come here. You cried in the car. Go cry again.' And then I caught flak for him leaving.
"And so with that, it was so deeply embedded in me that I wanted to prove that I can win again, because y'all are telling me I ruined this franchise because KD decided that he wanted to do something else with his life, that he wanted to live in a different city. He wanted a different challenge ... and I catch flak for that, that [I] ruined the franchise. And so in saying that, I'm a competitor, so how do I shut all of those people up? You go win another championship. And so I think that was one of the biggest moments. Also, everybody saying, 'Oh man, they're done. They can't do it again. It's over.'
"To do that again, I'd say that's one of the biggest moments."
The Warriors built a dynasty thanks in part to Durant, winning two of their three NBA championships from 2015 to 2018 with Slim Reaper in the Bay. While many criticized Golden State for building a "super team" by signing Durant after their 2016 Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Green also shouldered plenty of blame for Durant's eventual departure in the summer of 2019 after a series of disagreements, culminating with a heated in-game exchange on Nov. 12, 2018.
There was plenty of disappointment -- and losses -- in the years after Durant, with NBA pundits and fans alike wondering if the Warriors ever would win again without him.
Golden State Warriors
But in 2022 came another Larry O'Brien Trophy, and Steph Curry's now-famous retort: "What they gonna say now?"
And for Green, that was the sweetest feeling.
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