“They Were Some F–king Losers”: Draymond Green Details How He Helped Warriors Rise From Dirt
Follow Us
The Golden State Warriors literally rose out of the dirt to revolutionize the league. For five straight years from 2008 to 2012, the organization remained seated at the bottom of the table. Nothing was working for them until things changed quickly since the 2012-13 season.
The Warriors drafted Draymond Green in the 2012 off-season. He was the overall 35th pick and the third pick for the franchise that year. Clearly, his worth was underestimated, and the 6’6” took not much time to prove this. Draymond recently joined a podcast where he revealed what led to his dramatic growth.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The renaissance of Warriors and Draymond’s contribution to it
Just as Draymond came in, it was expected that he will blend in with the franchise’s way of working. Instead, Draymond proved to be an outlier, and the then coach Mark Jackson proved instrumental in it.
Draymond quoted Mark’s words to him in a podcast, “I want you to come here as the same Draymond I’ve been watching on TV for years. I want you to be an animal, be a dog, and be a leader. I don’t care who is in front of you, I don’t care who has more money than you, who has more status in the league than you — I want you to come in and be the same leader that you’ve been your whole life.”
Trending
Draymond Green’s Eyes Reveal Warriors’ Tricks Admits LeBron James, 7 Days After Best Friends Stood at Odds
March 27, 2024 02:02 PM EDT
“Her Crown Is Heavy”: Lisa Bluder Unloads the Harsh Side of “Generational Player” Caitlin Clark’s Success After Iowa Hawkeyes Win
March 26, 2024 07:24 AM EDT
Damian Lillard Calls Out Caitlin Clark’s Iowa’s Unfair Advantage Over West Virginia: March Madness
March 26, 2024 04:30 AM EDT
Stephen Curry Angry Outburst After Sobbing On-Court Leaves NBA World in Disbelief: “Draymond Really Broke This Man”
March 28, 2024 03:24 AM EDT
“Tired Of This Bullshit”: Inconsolable Stephen Curry Had Fans Shocked After Draymond Green’s Ejection vs Orlando Magic
March 28, 2024 02:26 AM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
DrayMagic had his mindset prepared, and he knew how he was going to proceed even before joining the team. He remembered, “I wanted to come in and try to change the mentality of this organization that had been getting their f–king heads cracked for years on end.” The star forward added, “So when I stepped off the plane, I was coming in like, ‘F–k ya’ll. I’m here to get a spot. I’m here to help this team win,’ because they were some f–king losers.”
And he did it. The boy from Michigan State went from being a rotation player to get into the starting five and eventually become one of the three best players on the team.
Draymond Green on All the Smoke: “I think I changed the game of basketball with the help of Steph Curry. I think Steph Curry changed the game of basketball with the help of me. I think it was a match made in heaven. And then Klay Thompson … us three changed the game forever.” pic.twitter.com/viHMVTTe42
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) April 23, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
How did he work his way up?
The three-time NBA Champion and the three-time All-star utilized every opportunity that came his way. He went from timing 22 minutes per game in 2013-14 as compared to just over 13 minutes in his rookie year. When Andrew Bogut was out for the entire first round of the playoffs 2014, Draymond recorded 11.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Even as David Lee strained his hamstring in 2014-15 pre-season, coach Steve Kerr provided Green with an opportunity to step up. Ever since there was no turning back as he became Defensive Player of the Year 2017, and improved his figures to 8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, & 6.2 apg.
He makes for an important piece in the GSW trio consisting of him, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson. They’re again coming back this season to register a potential revamp.