Why doesn't drupal.org/download give a link to the Drupal 7 version? Friend asked how to get the latest d7 version. I said go to the Download link, eg under Build > Download and Extend, or under Try Drupal > Download.

He pointed out that it only has a button for d8 download at https://www.drupal.org/download.

Why?
Most likely because they don't want people to be confused by the two different versions and want to simply funnel folks to the latest D8 version.

Here's likely the easiest download link to share for D7 enthusiasts: https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal