In a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” Draymond and his former teammate Kevin Durant shared insights into everything from his days with the Golden State Warriors to latest trade rumors and how he wants to end his NBA career.
However, one moment during the episode left everybody in shock, including Durant.
2024 Paris Olympics
First, let’s back things up a bit to last summer. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Team USA assembled one of the greatest rosters in Olympic basketball history, headlined by four former NBA MVPs; Steph Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant. Nicknamed “The Avengers,” Team USA reminded everybody whose sport it was, winning all six games by an average of 19 points per game and capping it off with their sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
Curry led the team in scoring (14.8 per game) and LeBron was named Olympic MVP, with both cracking the Olympics All-Star Five. However, one of the greatest moments came during the team’s quarterfinal matchup against Brazil. While the game was a blowout (122-87), it also set the stage for one of the greatest Olympians of all time to break a nearly two-decade-long record.
Early in the fourth quarter, with the game already well out of reach, Durant pulled up from mid range to knock down his 10th and 11th points of the game. In that moment, Durant became the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history, surpassing WNBA legend Lisa Leslie’s mark of 488. Kevin Durant has one of the most accomplished careers in NBA history and you can bet this moment meant a lot to him.
Akin to when LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time career scoring record in 2023 or when a freshly minted rookie receiver catches their first NFL touchdown pass, these are moments that live on well past their playing careers. In fact, they generally go home with the game ball in hand to keep as a memento.
Draymond Green had other plans.
Draymond Green’s Crazy Revelation
Fast forward to his Feb. 26 podcast episode, Green recounted the events following that historic game. In a candid exchange, he revealed to Durant that he had taken the game ball from that memorable night. Green described how, amidst the post-game celebrations, he noticed the ball unattended and decided to secure it as a keepsake.
“I got a secret, but if I tell you, you can’t do nothing about it, all right. I got the ball from when you broke the USA scoring record,” Green shared, his voice tinged with pride and mischief.
Durant’s reaction was a mix of surprise and amusement. “Why do you have that? Dawg, that’s crazy,” he responded, clearly taken aback by the news. The camaraderie between the two was palpable, highlighting the deep bond they’ve forged over years of playing together in the Bay Area.
Green explained his intentions behind keeping the ball, merely stating how, understanding the magnitude of Durant’s accomplishment, he wanted to ensure that the memento was preserved appropriately. He expressed a desire to have Durant autograph the ball, adding that he might consider selling it in the future. Durant simply replied, “I know it’s safe over there, man.”
Draymond Green might be a defensive mastermind on the court, but who knew his greatest steal would be safeguarding Durant’s prized game ball with such care?
