When Kevin Durant and Draymond Green's relationship turned tumultuous, many were worried they would never recover from it -- especially since the tension carried into the Warriors' locker room. But 10 weeks later, it appears the two have come out better than they were before.
At the moment, the Warriors have a sense about them that make the team look unstoppable once again. They're riding a seven-game winning streak as they head into Monday night's game against the Lakers, while most of the team is thriving and avoiding the injury bugs.
With the Durant-Green spat, time could have healed all wounds, but not on its own -- they had words, reconstructing words -- no matter how harsh they may have been.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
According to The Athletic, Durant told Green he was not going to accept the emotional excuse that Green had put forth. The thoughts that made him "learn about himself by seeing things that go on and seeing what he can get through." He said these were all a part of challenges that made him stronger and more rejuvenated. But Durant wasn't going to take it easy on him.
"It’s incredible,” Green told The Athletic. “I be needing that sometimes, for people to say, ‘He’s done. The run is over.’ That’s amazing. I appreciate those people. Those people are the reason I am where I am today. Keep talking that sh-t. They just make me better. If they were smart they’d just shut the hell up. It’s so many people that want to see you fail. Stay true to that. Want to see me fail. But they’ve go to know their personnel. You can’t talk shit about a motherf---- that feed off that. If you know your personnel, you’d stay silent, pray on the downfall.”
The talk made things right, for now -- it didn't fix the issue in its entirety, but the duo could be well on their way toward resolution. That is imperative with the type of unique relationship the two have.
"It’s very rare,” Green said.. “Obviously, we had a good relationship and then to go through something like we went through and still come out of that with a great relationship, that’s special. Those are the relationships you have for life. My deepest relationships that I have is, like, with people that I went through sh-t with. It could’ve been a bad argument. It could’ve been ready to go to blows. Those are my best relationships because you go through something and then you come out on the other side and y’all are tighter and better for it. Those are the special relationships.”
Golden State Warriors
[RELATED: Will Warriors overcome four days in LA against Lakers?]
Green walked away "impressed," as Marcus Thompson writes. Perhaps the leadership role Durant was to ensue when Stephen Curry was out stretched beyond being a team player.
For now, things appear to be calm and in the right place for the most part. Even if things do hit the fan in the future both Green and Durant will know how to handle it.