Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green blasted ESPN’s SportsCenter anchor Zubin Mehenti for his comments about Kevin Durant and told them to “talk BASKETBALL.”
Draymond Green via Golden State Warriors YouTube
After a segment featuring ESPN’s NBA reporter Nick Friedell discussing Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, Mehenti wrapped up the segment by saying, “It’s a good point because it could take awhile. He’s an emotional guy. Anything could happen.”
Green reacted to Mehenti’s comments taking to Twitter where he wrote, “Just watched the anchor on Sportscenter with Nick Fredell discuss KD wanting a trade, and called him emotional… Who are you to call someone emotional? What makes you comfortable?”
Green then wrote, “Talk BASKETBALL! Computers got y’all overly comfortable. TNM.”
Source: Draymond Green Twitter
Durant requested a trade at the end of June with Durant’s business manager Rich Kleiman informing ESPN that he is working with Nets General Manager Sean Marks on finding a trade.
Durant is reportedly looking to move to the Phoenix Suns or the Miami Heat. However, the Nets will be looking out for themselves and want to get as much as they can for Durant.
It’s unclear why Durant wants a trade, but CBS Sports speculates, “Durant’s desire to request a trade hints that he may be done with the tumultuous nature of the Nets franchise since he joined the team in 2019.”
Kevin Durant via Brooklyn Nets YouTube
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver weighed in on Durant’s trade request saying, “I don’t whether he requested a trade or demanded one, frankly. But look, this needs to be a two-way street. Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players and the expectation is in return that they will meet their end of the bargain.”
He continued, “I’m realistic that there is always conversations that are going to go on behind closed doors between players, and their representatives, and the teams, but we don’t like to see players requesting trades and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.”
Adam Silver via Chaz NBA YouTube
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“Ideally, especially as I was saying in response to the last question, the basketball was fantastic this past season, the playoffs. We had a wonderful finals,” Silver asserted. “I don’t want to be naïve, but I’d like, I would love the focus to be on the play on the floor.”
“And as to what we can do about this issue, again, when a player asks to be moved, it has a ripple effect on a lot of other players, on that player’s team, and other teams,” he noted. “So, it’s not just potentially the league or the team governors who are impacted by that, but lots of other players as well.”
Adam Silver via Chaz NBA YouTube
He went on, “So it’s one of those issues that as we move into this collective bargaining cycle, which we are just beginning now, we intend to discuss with our player’s association and see if there are remedies for this. Again, as I said, it will never be the time, a case, when players won’t be unhappy in certain situations. We don’t want to see it playing out the way it is now.
“And I think it is something where there is mutuality of interest between the players collectively and the league and having more stability. So that’s something we’ll be discussing with the union,” he concluded.
https://youtu.be/NwCLud0zOnY
What do you make of Draymond Green calling out ESPN’s Zubin Mehenti? What do you make of Durant wanting out of Brooklyn?