Compliments are part of life for professional athletes. One of the most meaningful ones usually comes from parents who say their kids look up to them or try to play like them. For most players, that kind of praise would feel flattering. But Draymond Green had a very different and surprisingly honest reaction.
During a recent appearance on the “Unguarded Podcast,” the Golden State Warriors star shared what actually goes through his mind when parents tell him their child plays like him. Instead of taking it as a compliment, Green admits his first thought is much harsher.
“Sometimes parents come up to me and they be like ‘Yo my son play just like you’… and I think to myself like ‘your son is a**’,” Draymond Green said.
It is the kind of brutally honest moment that most athletes would probably keep to themselves. Green, however, has never been known for holding back, even if it means poking fun at himself in the process. Social media users seemed to appreciate that level of honesty.
“Generational self-roast,” @GoldenStateHoop said.
“This the ultimate diss 😭😭 Atleast dray being honest with the public 😤😭😭,” @trendorfade wrote.
“Most self aware comment I’ve ever heard 😭😭,” @SleeperPicksHQ said.
“Draymond might be the only player who can say this and still make people laugh,” @SwishQuest said.
“😆😆 he is just being honest,” @iam_sadiqdidi said.
In reality, Green might be selling himself a bit short. His résumé speaks for itself, including four championships, four All-Star, two All-NBA and nine All-Defensive Team selections. Not only kids aspiring to pursue basketball as a career, but also plenty of young players in the league would love to have a career even close to that.
If anything, Green may simply be referring to his current form. This season, his numbers have dipped compared to his peak years. He is averaging 8.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Draymond Green pats himself on the back for recent defensive activity
At 36, Draymond Green has seen a noticeable drop in his production. Still, he continues to serve as the defensive anchor for the Warriors. Recently, he embraced some of the toughest assignments the team could give him, having to guard Kawhi Leonard on Mar. 2, Kevin Durant on Mar. 5, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Mar. 7.
Despite the heavy workload, Green welcomed the challenge and viewed it as a point of pride.
“Think our coaching staff has figured out that I have a lot more energy when I get that kind of stuff,” Green said. “If coach calls on me to guard Kawhi Leonard, to guard KD, to guard Shai, that’s a badge of honor. I’m 36 years old, three games straight, that’s a badge of honor.”
The Warriors won only one of those three games, the matchup against Houston. However, Green’s defensive effort still made an impact. In each of those contests, Leonard, Durant, and Gilgeous-Alexander all finished with scoring totals below their season averages.
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