Professional basketball rivalries are intense. One such duo is Golden State Warriors‘ Draymond Green and LA Lakers’ LeBron James. Their rivalry is in the headlines for quite some time now, even before their fierce feud on court. Their friendship has been the subject of much intrigue, with fans and analysts alike, as these two have been at the forefront of the league for years.

In a podcast with “Podcast P with Paul George,” Green sheds light on the intricacies of their relationship. He also emphasizes how his mindset has grown as a player over the years.

Green admitted that his mindset has changed over the years

Green is infamous for his aggressive nature on the court. However, on the podcast, he reveals, he has evolved. He says, “As I have gotten older in my career, I don’t just go out on the court with an ‘I hate you’ mindset,” Green said. Further adding, “I used to go out with an ‘I hate you’ mindset with everybody, and not be able to separate the two.”

He admits this mindset ruined his relationships with other players. Draymond confesses, “I would use that as fuel to go out and destroy somebody just like this ‘I hate you’ mindset. And it turned out I ruined relationships with the guys that I had a relationship with. It didn’t feel good either”.

Draymond Green on his relationship with LeBron James

The host also inquired about LeBron and Green’s relationship. He says that despite their intense rivalry on the court, they’ve managed to maintain a close friendship. Green refers to James as his “big brother” and says their relationship continues to grow.

In his own words, “As far as us being (LeBron) as tight as we are, like that’s my big brother, love him to death and nothing changing in that our relationship continues to grow and it is what it is.”

READ MORE: Draymond Green Bashes Ja Morant’s Grizzlies With a “Compliment” for Trash Talking Stephen Curry’s Warriors: “An Entirely Different Level of Oblivion”

He also points out that being friends with a competitor isn’t unique. The NBA star humorously points out that “Best friends work at Google and Apple, one can work at Twitter, and one can work at Facebook.”

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Green’s personal growth and maturity have allowed him to strike a balance between his competitive drive and his personal connections. While he acknowledges the need for a competitive edge, he also values the importance of preserving relationships beyond the game.

What do you think of this new attitude in Green? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.