Defense wins championships. It\u2019s the mantra we\u2019ve all been told since we were kids. A high-flying offense can take you far, but a team needs toughness and grit to reach the mountaintop.<\/p>\n
That isn\u2019t an idea that everyone believes in, however. In recent days, this doctrine has been a source of discussion in NBA circles. During season 2 of the Netflix show \u201cStarting 5\u201d that was released in October, Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant expressed skepticism about the importance of defense.<\/p>\n
Kevin Durant believes offense wins Championships<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to score baskets if you want to win a championship\u2026 Playing defense, we can get any of y\u2019all in here to bend your legs\u2026 that\u2019s easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Via @netflixsports<\/a>, h\/t @OmerOsman200<\/a>)pic.twitter.com\/4SYgkeGVTH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou have to score baskets if you want to win a championship,\u201d Durant said. \u201cPlaying defense, we can get any of y\u2019all in here to bend your legs, not touch the basketball, slide left to right, and contest the shot.\u201d<\/p>\n Durant\u2019s former Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green had a chance to respond to Durant\u2019s comments in a sitdown<\/a> with The Athletic senior NBA writer Sam Amick published on Tuesday. Green was quick to point out that every team that has won a championship featured a strong defense.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at most teams that couldn\u2019t quite get over the hump, oftentimes it\u2019s (because) they couldn\u2019t get stops,\u201d Green said. \u201cThat fact still remains, and I think that those who don\u2019t believe it, don\u2019t win. It\u2019s very simple. Those who don\u2019t believe defense is as valuable as it is, they simply just don\u2019t win. I don\u2019t think anyone\u2019s ever really been hell-bent on caring about the opinion of those that don\u2019t win, because your opinion equals zero.\u201d<\/p>\n In three seasons together from 2016-2019, Green and Durant reached three NBA Finals and won two titles. Amick responded to Green\u2019s statement that the opinions of non-champions don\u2019t matter, noting that Durant has two titles and two Finals MVP trophies. Durant is one of just five players to win consecutive Finals MVP awards, alongside Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.<\/p>\n \u201cHe won here, and the defense was\u2026\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n \u201cIncredible,\u201d said Amick, finishing the sentence.<\/p>\n \u201cExactly,\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n Durant\u2019s difference in opinion wasn\u2019t surprising to Green, knowing that their basketball philosophies aren\u2019t always aligned.<\/p>\n \u201cI know how \u2018K\u2019 thinks about the game of basketball,\u201d Green said. \u201cLike, I know that there are some all-time greats \u2014 alll-tiimmee greats; I mean, like some of the elite of the elite \u2014 who don\u2019t quite have what Kevin would consider an offensive bag, and he doesn\u2019t really think that player is as great as the masses may think, because of how he views the game.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest in the back-and-forth came on Tuesday evening, when Durant responded to a post on X about Green\u2019s comments. The tweet read \u201cAnd the offense was????\u201d<\/p>\n And the offense was???? https:\/\/t.co\/SV6zo7dSUp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) November 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n In the 2016-17 season, Durant and Green\u2019s first title together, the Warriors led the league<\/a> with a 115.6 offensive rating. Their 2017-18 title season featured an offensive rating of 113.6, which ranked third. It is considered one of the greatest offenses ever assembled, as Durant joined forces with sharpshooters Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. During the 67-15 season in 2016-17, Golden State had an offensive rating of 121.5 when Curry and Durant shared the floor, outscoring opponents by plus-19.9 points per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n However, Golden State also had the second-best<\/a> defensive rating in the 2016-17 campaign. Green also finished with the best defensive rating (99.1) in the 2016-17 season, and Durant ranked sixth (101.3). In 2017-2018<\/a>, the Warriors\u2019 defensive rating dropped to 11th in the NBA (108.43). Per NBA.com, the Warriors finished first, third and third respectively in opponent field goal percentage during Durant\u2019s three seasons in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n Early on in the 2018-19 season, Durant\u2019s final year with the Warriors, his relationship with Green deteriorated after an on-court dispute<\/a> during a November game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Durant has noted<\/a> that the argument contributed to his departure in the offseason, when he agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to join the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n The two have reconciled in recent years, playing together for Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and making appearances on their respective podcasts. But it appears they may not see eye-to-eye when it comes to the importance of defense.<\/p>\n