February 27, 2025
Draymond Green is often touted as the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors. He’s praised as a defensive mastermind and a vocal leader. But in reality? He’s unpredictable, reckless, and only locked in when it suits him. If he doesn’t believe the team has a real shot at a championship, his effort disappears. Great leadership quality, right?
Admitted Lack of Effort
During the 2019-2020 season, when the Warriors had the worst record in the league, Green openly admitted that he checked out. In an interview, he said:
“I wasn’t interested in the game. It was frustrating. And it was also a mind-****, going from the best team ever to the ****ing worst team in the NBA.”
— Draymond Green
For a guy who constantly talks about “championship DNA,” it’s funny to hear him admit he didn’t care just because the team was bad. No desire to develop young players. No effort to set a professional example. Just coasting through a season, cashing paychecks, and blaming his lack of engagement on the team’s struggles.
No Steph! No Problem!
Has anyone noticed how often Draymond gets ejected when Steph isn’t playing? When he knows the team isn’t doesn’t have a good chance to win, he finds a way to make an early exit. A supposed “leader” bailing when things get tough? That’s not leadership.
I’m too lazy to look it up, but back in 2023, some people crunched the numbers. Turns out, Green is four times more likely to be ejected when Curry isn’t playing compared to when he is. Even other players have caught on. After a November 2023 ejection, Rudy Gobert called him out:
“Every time Steph doesn’t play, he doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”
— Four-Time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert
Suddenly Trying Again
Fast forward to the present—now that the Warriors have acquired Jimmy Butler, Green has suddenly found his motivation again. Just watching the games, you can see both he and Steph are playing with noticeably more effort. He had an interview where he said now he and Curry are making a push for a championship run. His passing is suddenly crisper, his defense more intense, and his communication louder.
The difference in his energy before and after the arrival of another superstar is hard to ignore. It’s the mindset of a front runner, not a true competitor. He’s essentially admitting that his effort depends on whether the team has a shot at a title rather than simply doing the right thing.
Final Thoughts
People always excused Draymond’s antics because the Warriors were winning. We didn’t even talk about all the other nonesense he says and does in this article… Anyway, when you strip away the rings and accolades, he’s really just a player who admits he doesn’t try when the team is struggling, gets ejected when things aren’t going his way, and only plays hard when he senses a championship run. One day, when the dynasty is over, people will look back and understand that Draymond Green wasn’t the Warriors’ heartbeat. To quote someone he once punched in the face, he’s “just an expensive backpack for 30.”
Disclaimer: Draymond will probably never read this, but I apologize if I hurt your feelings.