Just 21 and 19 years old, respectively, they stand in front of their lockers after the latest loss. Facing one another, they seem oblivious to the crowd that has gathered to watch. Slowly, they place back on their street clothes, exchanging few words. Finally, once each has donned a pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, a neck tie and a sweater, they shift their attention to the dozen onlookers. Now Jeff Green and Kevin Durant must explain what exactly went wrong in their Sonics’ 108-86 thrashing at the hands of the Washington Wizards. They have to try and come up with a reason why their first game back in the District since turning pro was so underwhelming. At Georgetown, Green would not have had to dress in front of the media. He would not have been forced to deal with a swarm of reporters watching as he pulled on each sock and tied each shoelace. Sometimes, after a loss, he would not have even had to deal with the press at all. Green’s relationship with the media is just one of many ways in which the life of the former Georgetown star has changed since the Boston Celtics made him the No. 5 pick in last June’s draft and then dealt him cross-country to Seattle that same night. Green and No. 2 overall selection Durant have been thrust into a situation few young men can adequately comprehend. “I’m having a lot of fun,” Green said before the game against Washington. “This is my dream, living my dream – just gotta have fun with it.” Only months removed from his time on the Hilltop, Green earns approximately $36,585 a game. With two games in an average week, he makes more each week than many Georgetown graduates will earn in their first year in the workforce. He lives by himself, 3,000 miles away from his family. Instead of playing 37 games a season, he plays 82, 41 of which are scattered about the United States (and one in Canada). Many of his best friends still go to Georgetown, play for no money at all, and eat most of their meals at O’Donovan Hall. He says he speaks with former classmates Jonathan Wallace and Tyler Crawford almost every day. “The food is better now than Leo’s,” he joked. “My life has changed a lot, there are things in my life now that didn’t happen when I was in college, now it’s the real life. I’m out there by myself trying to make a living. . I’ve grown up a lot, matured a lot from Georgetown to now.” Green and the Sonics arrived in the District on Friday, Jan. 4; that evening, he said he ate dinner with his family and the next evening he had a brief chance to play Guitar Hero with former teammates Wallace and Crawford. On the court, Green’s return was far less satisfying. Starting for the fifth time this season, Green shot just 4-of-13 from the field, tallying eight points and committing five fouls and five turnovers in the process. He added five rebounds in 34 minutes of action. His parents sat in a luxury box and could be heard cheering during pregame introductions and after Green converted a thunderous dunk in the second quarter. Green said that playing in front of a crowd that included his parents, several other friends and relatives and his former teammates was not to blame for his rough outing, though his coach said it probably played at least a small factor. “During the starting lineup: I heard them, but after that, I tuned them out, its time to get ready to play,” Green said. “Unfortunately, I got in early foul trouble, kind of threw me out of my rhythm, but I went there, tried to do my best and came up short.” On the season, Green averages 8.8 points and five rebounds, but statistically speaking, his performance has been uneven. In 36 games, he has scored in double figures 14 times. “I just think working hard and trying to get better has been paying off, recently making the starting lineup to bring energy at the beginning of the game, and that’s what I’ve been doing,” Green said. “I’m playing my hardest until it’s time to come out and then when I go back in, [I bring] good energy once again. And so I’ll continue to play my heart out and just try to guard my butt off, play defense, grab boards, make hustle plays.” Green has quickly become close with Durant, another D.C.-area native. Durant, who is already Seattle’s best player and leading scorer, said before the game that having Green with him in Seattle has helped ease the transition to the NBA. “I’m taking it slowly and just making this thing a learning process,” Durant said. “It makes it a lot easier with Jeff being there with me trying to help each other out.” Durant added that Green has been a help on the court as well as off of it. “He makes it a lot easier on everybody on the team with how hard he plays, how versatile he is,” Durant said. After the game, Green emphasized how much more intense the NBA is than college. Both the games themselves and the season as a whole are on an entirely different level, he said. “The NBA is 48 minutes hard, every minute, you gotta bring it every minute,” Green said. “If you’re tired, get out the game. . In college, those first 12 games is an easy road. NBA, from the first day, you gotta come with it. There’s never an off day for you.” Including the Final Four, Georgetown played 37 games last season, starting on Nov. 11 and ending on March 31. Last night’s game against the Lakers was Seattle’s 37th game of this season. “The number of games is teaching me how to control myself and better myself throughout the season,” Green said. “Staying healthy, getting my rest, and eating healthy helps me throughout the season.” At Georgetown, Green lost 30 times in three years. Entering last night, the Sonics were 9-27. The losing has not been easy for Green. After falling to Washington, he was noticeably dejected, even with his family waiting right outside the arena and 23 other losses already on the year. “It’s always difficult when you lose games, that’s just something you have to go through in your career,” Green said. “Unfortunately, I’m going through it my first year as a pro.” Though busy with the rigors of the NBA, Green still finds time to follow the Hoyas. “I came in contact with those guys, talked to them, tried to get my pointers in on what they need to do, but Coach Thompson III is doing a good job, he’s the coach there, I’m a fan now,” Green said. That does not mean, however, that he’s had any second thoughts on his decision to jump to the NBA. “I’ve moved on from there,” he said. “It was my time to go. Now, it’s Roy [Hibbert], Jon and Tyler and Pat; it’s their team now. I’m pulling for them to go all the way. I’m gonna be their number one fan.”