L.A. crowd boos KD, Green at U.S.-China game
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were booed by the sellout crowd at Staples Center before Team USA’s 106-57 win over China on Sunday.
They didn’t notice.
“I did? Huh,” Durant said of being booed. “I didn’t hear it.”
Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Meyers did, though, and he had a theory.
“I think it’s Clipper fans because they cheered DeAndre [Jordan],” Meyers said. “That’s just my guess.”
The Clippers and Warriors have developed one of the NBA’s more contentious rivalries in recent years.
Then there’s the matter of Durant’s decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder as a free agent this summer and create a super team in the Bay Area with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Green.
Was it Clippers fans booing Durant? Or NBA fans mad he left the small-market Thunder to join the 73-win Warriors?
Whatever the case, it clearly didn’t affect Durant, as he finished with a team-high 19 points in the rout.
There shouldn’t be any such issue in Team USA’s next game, which will be Durant’s first at Oracle Arena in Oakland.
“He won’t get booed on Tuesday,” Meyers said with a smile.
Said Durant: “I’m excited to go to Oakland as a member of the Warriors. We’ll see. I don’t know what to expect. I’m just going to go up there, be my normal self and do my normal routine.”
