When Draymond Green and Kevin Durant got in a verbal confrontation back on Nov. 12, it was a seminal moment in the Warriors' 2018-19 season.
It turns out it also may have been the turning point in Durant's tenure with Golden State.
KD's friend and former teammate Kendrick Perkins, who has been making the rounds on ESPN in wake of Durant's decision to join the Brooklyn Nets, said on Wednesday that Durant was never able to recover from the incident and it played a part in his choice to leave.
"KD never bounced back from the Draymond situation, Perkins said. "I think the Warriors had a chance to sign KD back, but when that situation occurred -- and the Warriors tried to clean it up by suspending Draymond -- but they suspended Draymond and then about two months later, the owner comes back out and says he wants Draymond there for life.
"It's hard to say they took him for granted, but I think he felt like it was best for him to leave. It's hard to overcome that. Those were some harsh words."
Both Durant and Green said that they had made amends after the incident, but clearly, Perkins believes this wasn't really the case.
Sports
The spat between the two All-Stars stemmed from Green not passing the ball to Durant in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter of the Warriors' eventual overtime loss to the Clippers. While KD clapped incessantly for the ball, Draymond rushed up the court and turned it over without getting a potential game-winning shot off.
While the initial argument originated from Draymond's on-court decision making, Green took it a step further by reportedly calling Durant a "b---h" and telling him "we don't need you," citing Durant's looming free agency decision and the fact that the Warriors won the 2015 championship without him.
[RELATED: NBA scouts break down Warriors' playoff hopes for next season]
Although one could argue the Dubs certainly needed Durant to win the 2019 title -- they lost to the Raptors with him sidelined -- KD's decision to continually sign one-year contracts with Golden State placed unnecessary drama over his future with the franchise. So while Green's harsh words were certainly unwarranted and overly critical, Durant's decision to leave the Warriors dynasty to play with his buddies in Brooklyn certainly makes you think Draymond had a point all along.
Regardless, the incident put a stain on Durant's relationship with Green and the Warriors, and if you are to believe Perkins, the stain was permanent.
