EPISODE 24: Draymond Green Part 2

on so many different subjects. In Part one, we talked about defense, and we specifically got into the game against the New Orleans Pelicans that Draymond himself said he felt like really turned around Golden States season, his approach to the game, the state of the Warriors. D We talked about all these things. In Part two, though, he goes really in depth on the Jordan Pool situation in training camp.

He talks about his future with the Warriors. He talks about what this Western Conference looks like, who's the favorite after such a wide open and tumultuous regular season. Draymond Green unplugged on this League uncut. Here's part two with Chris and I. So I wanted to read you this from January. This was this was on your own podcast, The Draymond Green Show, which is of course on the volume,

and and it's being nominated. It's being nominated right for the war He mentioned, Yes, I've been nominated for a Webby award, like I think the Best Sports Podcast or something like that, which, like we said at the top, we need you on our show more than you need us. But in January you had our friend Jamal Crawford on and you guys ended up talking about what happened with Jordan Poole and training camp, and your quote was, I think a lot of our shortcomings this year is my fault.

Why is it my fault? I have not been the leader that I am and that I need to be for this team. The reason I have not been that leader is also my fault. Right. We all know what happened with your young Wolverine brother JP. So for me, I've kind of had to walk a fine line of not really being Draymond. And when I'm not really being myself, that's not the best thing for this team. Three months later, how close to the full Draymond, are you in terms

of leadership? I think I've been a lot better since then, And just you know, Stanny, I had to get to the point of where to really get back to just being me and myself. And what that meant is you can't really care about feelings. You know, there's no space in this game for winner. If you're winners for feelings, feelings will get hurt often if you're trying to win, because winning and feelings don't live in the same place.

They live in two totally different spaces, and oftentimes what you do is you try to cater to both, and those that cater to both you end up stuck in the middle. Well, what's the middle of the middle is five hundred? The middle is not quite good enough, not quite bad enough. That's the middle. Well guess what. That's where we've been all year until as of late, stuck right in the middle. And so I just had to get to a point to where I said, listen, I

can't sit here and worry about feelings. I've never worried about feelings. Well, all of a sudden, am I so worried about feelings now? And not that it's Jordan's feelings to anyone's feelings about anything, like not just the JP incident, but anything that you could be feeling that you may

have a feeling about. I really don't have time to worry about that because I can't lead and worry about how your feelings, how you may take something, how your feelings may get hurt, because guess what, and being a leader, there's actually a time where you need and have to hurt feelings, like intentionally have to hurt feelings, and it's totally necessary, and guess what, it can spark something totally

different than the team. So I had to just kind of get back to that mindset of like, when have you ever worried so much about feelings that you allow that to get in the way of leading. And like I said, that's not just JP's feelings, that's that's organizationally, that's publicly because that was a big part of it, right the video never get released, that's a totally different thing, and so the public's feelings. I had to stop worrying about that as well. I think that was a bigger

worry than Jordan's feelings or the organization's feelings. Is how I'm viewed in the public Man, I have a family, my wife that followed everyone, and so I think that had more of an impact on me than necessarily what's happening to organization, Because at the end of the day, man, we're going to play basketball, like and when you get between those lines, nothing else matters but going out there

to play basketball, competing at the highest level. But I think for me, I'm going out there, I don't want to necessarily say something to Jordan because if I say something to Jordan he react the wrong way. Everybody in the public is going to pick it up and say, oh, he's doing this and he's doing that right. And so I was more worried about those things than I actually was what would actually happen if I did say something to Jordan, or what would actually happen on our team

if I did say something to somebody else. I was more worried about everyone else picking up what happens if something did happen. Well, guess what, stuff like that happens all the time throughout the season. Teammates get into it and I know that and I've been a part of those And guess what those things build character, Those things build bonds and so and understanding that and being the leader and leading the way that I lead. I had to just accept that, you know what, I may say

something to Jordan, I may say something somebody else. It may blow up at times, but guess what if it does and the public picks that up or the media wants to pick that up, AND's so be it, because I don't have the time to worry about everyone else feelings and everyone else perception of what's going on in our locker room, what's going on with us between the lines, except for doing what I have to do that I know and what it takes that I know, or excuse me, doing what I know it takes to win at the

highest level. And it's like, oh, man, you know the Okay, see game in Okay, see when I got pissed at Jordan? All right, am I supposed to keep holding all of those emotions in so that no one picks it up or everybody picks it up and talk about it the next day, and who cares? And that's kind of the mindset that I had to get back to and just accepting that, and I think I've done a much better job.

I couldn't have had that game against New Orleans nor could my team have followed that game against New Orleans game forty just couldn't. Like, it wasn't possible. I'm not sure they were capable of following that. I'm not sure we were capable of banding together the way we did. I'm just not sure it was possible. But in working through the things that I needed to work through, that we need to work through, I think we've gotten to

that place. And lastly, and saying that, I also think it required me to take that approach initially and not just try to be Draymond Boss to the walls. Yeah, right out the gate. Now I think it sets us up for a better come playoff time, which is now joy. I'm not trying to harp on that because we didn't want to touch on that really, but you mentioned the leak. The leak took it to another level, and I think that made matters worse for everybody involved. Was that leak.

Was that issue resolved as far as from your knowledge finding out who did it? Like? Was it resolved to your satisfaction? No, not at all. I was never really given a concrete I'm sure on how it came about. But anything else that gets investigated, you get to concrete things, right, like, this is why we got to our investigation. That's that, and it doesn't end until you reach a concrete place. That wasn't the case with this investigation. Could it have

been the case if I pressed the issue? Probably so, right, Like we probably could have got all the way to the bottom of it if I pressed the issue, if rich Paul pressed the issue, we could have gotten all the way to the bottom of it. I'm sure. But but in hindsight or I mean even looking at it now, Hans, I didn't want to get to the bottom of it. I didn't want to chase Oh, man, who leaked this? Uh? Is there a way for me to find out, you know, where this league came from? Like if I do find out,

what I'm gonna do? Like, am I going to sue someone? No? Like, say, say, a lot of people said, man, that leade came from the organization, all right, So if I find out the organization leaked it, am I going to sue the Golden State Warriors? Of course? Not like I love to Going State Warriors. I've been at the Golden State Warriors for eleven years. Like my entire knowing as a professional basketball

players synonymous with the Golden State Warriors. Why am I going to run and try to sue them for that. I did it like I did it. The thing that happened I did it did get leaked. It's unfortunate, and if I'm being quite honest, it's bullshit that it got leaked, because you know, what don't get leaked, what don't get leaked is when we running through plays. What doesn't get leaked.

This when we're going when what doesn't get leaked This when we're going through a team's scout and we're scouting on you know, we're putting our game playing together, or when coach gets pissed off in practice and go ape shit on all of us. That doesn't get leaked. But that thing gets leaked. It's unfortunate and it sucks. But the reality is I did it, and you got to

face the music. Man, I'm not about to get so deep into trying to find out who leaked it that I'm that it almost appears as I'm not willing to face the music or something. So I did I As you know, man, I am someone who stands on everything I say. I stand on everything I do. Good battering different to be quite honest with you, it was unfortunate that it got out there. It's one of my worst moments as a pro. Like, I've never punched anyone as heated as things have gotten, as much things as I've

been into. I'm not someone who just walks around punching someone. And so it's something that I had never done. It's unfortunate that it got leaked. But the reality is I let myself go to that space and I did do it. It's not like somebody altered the video and put out there and alter video. No, no, no, the video that was out there is something that I did. And regardless if it got leaked, if it was or it wasn't supposed to get leaked, I did it. And because I

did it. You can approach that one or two ways. You can bullshit around and try to get to the bottom of who leaked it, or you can accept it it got leaked and you shouldn't have done it. And because you shouldn't have done it, it would have never been in a space to get leaked if you hadn't done it. So control what you can control, and don't worry about what you what you can't control. And so again answer you a question. No, we never got to

the bottom of it. To be honest with you, I was given some lousy answer that you know me very well. If I really cared to get to the bottom of it, I would ate that lousy answer up. But it was just no point. It is what it is. The damage was done. So getting to the bottom of the leap like it does nothing like I heard, relationships and all of that, and so the damage is done, like move forward, correct what you can correct, and be better and learn from it. And that's kind of what I what I

tried to do with the whole situation. Well, I mean, that was an incredibly candid answer and reminds me of why I don't go in locker rooms very much anymore. We are allowed back in locker rooms, but after a few years off, I don't like going in there anymore. But in the years that we did go into locker rooms a lot. That's why they're all That's why there was always a crowd around yours, because we know we're gonna get we know we're gonna get that incredible detailed answer.

But you said something in there. You've been a warrior for eleven years. Chris knows this. He's heard this speech a zillion times. Because I'm a basketball romantic. I would like to see Draymond Green and Stephen Curry and Clay Thompson play their whole careers together. It doesn't happen very much anymore. I don't know how realistic it is. We're in a different era, this is a different time. It

is a business more than it's ever been. So, just as generally as I can ask this, what do you How likely is it that Draymond Green finished his career, his career as a warrior well number one for something you just said. I think this is the last time we'll ever see it, especially with the new CBA. I don't think the new c BA will allow you to

see this again. You know, if there were things added into the CBA, like you know, you drafted all of these go you drafted Jordan Pool, you drafted this Clay Times, you drafted Steph Kerry, you drafted Kevon Loon, and you drafted Draymond Green. If there was things that was added to the CBA like it should have been, and you're not penalized with drafting, well then maybe we will see it again. That's not the case to my knowledge, and so because that's not the case, I don't think we'll

ever see this again. With the penalties and the way the money is increasing, I just don't think we will as far as my situation goes. Man, I've been here eleven years. I've done everything that you can possibly do here. Why would I want to go somewhere else and try to do it again to prove to the people that say Draymond can only play on that team, he can't play anywhere else. Should I try to go prove those

people wrong. I've been proving those people wrong. Those same people said I would never make it in the NBA, So I'm not going to waste my time trying to prove the same idiots wrong that I prove wrong a million times over. I would love to finish my career here. That's been my goal since maybe signing this current contract been on own. It's like it looked like a more realistic thing of me finishing here. And I also don't want to play twenty years in the NBA. I want

to play fifteen years in the NBA. So I think, you know, it's very realistic that in four more years I will still be contributing at a high level, I'll still be able to give to a team and live up to the contracts that I'll be on, and so I do want to be here. As far as the probability goes, I can't necessarily give you that because it's

not up to me. You know, if it's totally up to me, I can one hundred percent tell you I would finish my career here, But that's not something that's totally up to me, you know, And I do understand you. Remember when I told you, I said, I told you guys, I said, guys don't know how to play. Another one that's even more baffling than me is guys don't understand

the business of basketball. I actually understand the business of basketball, and so I do understand why that's not totally my decision, and I don't have any hard feelings with that because I do understand that at the end of the day, this is a business. This is a multi billion dollar business, and it keeps moving. It doesn't matter who the characters

are within it. The business has to keep moving. And so the likelihood or the probability, if it's up to me, it's one hundred percent, But I can't give you the actual likelihood, because ultimately, you know, we all want to in any job that we do, we all want to be compensated for what we bring to the table. We all want our fair market value, and so you know that end of the bargain has to be uphill, and my end of the bargain has to be uphill. I do think I am still holding the mind of the bargain.

We're defending the championship. I am still playing at a high level. And I don't doubt that that Joe and Bob and our front office and ownership group will hold up their end of the bargain. They always have. I have no contrary to the reports out there and all the things, I have zero reasons to believe that they won't hold up their end of the bargain because they've

never shown me that. And I think so many times we get caught up in this constant media cycle and all of the news and reports that we get caught in our feelings and we stop believing what we what's right in our face to believe. I saw on Twitter You're coming to Dallas, so I said, oh, that's good for me. I saw that as well, But like right in our face and my face and you guys face in the public face, is that the Warriors has always

making sure that I was taken care of. The Warriors has always making sure that Clay Thompson was taken care of. The Warriors have always made sure that Steph Curry was taken care of, Kavin Luney was taken care of. That's what's right in our face. That's what's been right in

our face. So I am not going to I am not going to essentially, for lack of a better term, shit on the Warriors or not believe what they've shown and not give them their credibility and what's due, which is they have taken care of the guys that they're supposed to take care of, so I have no reason to believe that they won't still do that. Joy. I have my final question. I know you got busy schedule I wanted, by the way, I'm cool if I got

fifteen more minutes. If y'all got something, no problem. If not, don't let us get greedy. We will take off fifteen Drey. You gave before, you gave a team bulletin board materials, a team that's near you guys, before the season about you know you talked about and you know that you hear that. I think again, it's it's one thing about saying that publicly, I think kind of runs people the

wrong way. I don't know why, but it was always known what I'm talking about was always known that you get up for certain teams and you just don't have

it for other teams. But you know you made your made those believe it was on the shop when you made those comments earlier in the year saying the Kings are one of those teams where you had a hard time getting up for them, and you know they took it and ran with it, and they've had a really good year, bounced back a year and Mike Brown, to me, should be unanimous Coach of the Year over there with

the King. Has the dynamic change for you now that they're been like, what what has the dynamic been like for you going to play the Kings this season? Has it felt different? Well? Quite frankly, if people go back and watch that episode, it was actually math saying who those teams weren't? I agree? But okay, my bad. But in saying that, like I said, you know me, I'm always standing on everything I say. The Kings have sucked, Like, let's just face it, um, since I've been in the NBA,

they have sucked. I have not made the playoffs since I've been So it's not like some like bulletin board of disrespect. It's actually a fact. They are who we were when I came into the NBA. Yes, they're changing that. I also said on that episode. Now the Kings got Mike Brown, and I expect that to change. I also had Dear Fox on my podcast and I told Fox, Fox, this is on you, keens get to the playoffs. It's on you, my brother, like you have to. They traded

Tyrese Halliburton. Dave essentially said the Aaron Fox is our point guard. Fox, you need to go out there. You need to lead this team the playoffs. There's no reason you shouldn't be an All Star, and so on and so forth. Guess what. Fox went out there and led this team to the playoffs. Fox went out there and became an All Star, and he's leading that organization in the right direction. When they trade it another all star, Tyrese Halliburton, he's doing exactly what they hoped he would do.

By trading Tyrese Halliburn and so I give all credit to them. I give credit where credits do. Another team that I spoke about was the Orlando Magic. Let's face it, we get thrown in Orlando on the back to bat with Miami because Orlando has sucked. Let's just face it, like you get them coming out of two three days in Miami y because they've sucked. No one cares about

the game. They are changing that Jamal Mosley is doing an incredible job, and most importantly, they have a guy that it's about winning, that loves basketball, that you can build around, and Polo ban Carol. Before anyone was ever really talking about Polo ban Carroll as the number one pick, and everybody was saying Jabari Smith and this guy and that guy who was on the podcast talking about Polo ban Caro is the guy. Now. I think the Orlando Magic why they want to take the bulletin board material

about me saying they sucked. I think they also took the willetin board material from my podcast and evaluating talent because all of a sudden, out of nowhere, they drifted Polo number one out of nowhere. But come on, let's face it, he don't know man, news don't stay private in the NBA no more. Like so they're not that discreet to where they had somebody think and they was taking someone else, and then all of a sudden they take Polo ban Carl. They ain't that goddamn the street.

No one is in the NBA anymore. So let's face it, they were watching, they took the kid, and they did the right thing. I give credit where credits due. I think the Orlando Magic are headed and trended in the right direction. They got Paolo fren Wagner as a player, like a real player. They got guys, They got guys that they can really build around and continue to move in the right direction. But let's let's also be real. That also takes a commitment from the organization. Has that

organization really made that commitment as of late? You know, That's that's where you guys to discuss. I don't want to get fund about that, but you know, you are you going to make that commitment to keep it all together. That's what all of this stuff ultimately boils down to. It. It's never really um, you know, it's never really any shot at you know guys in particular, but you know, I'm always keeping a Hunter, and I'm not afraid of you know, bulletin board material. You can post something on

your bulletin all you want. You still got a guard and win the game. I get the Memphis Grizzy a million bulletin board points all last year and we still beat them in the playoffs. So you still got to guard and like win the game. And I'm totally fine with that, and you know, it is what it is. But I give credit where credit is due. What Mike Brown has gone to Sacramento and done, it's absolutely amazing. I expect him to continue taking that that franchise upward

in the right direction. And you know, I give credit. I give them their props. They're doing a great job. This has been such a weird season. I mean the West where really since Jordan retired the second time from Chicago, the West has been the power Conference. And we've had years where I remember there was a year when the Warriors, you know, this was before your time, but the Warriors won forty eight games and missed the playoffs. They were the ninth seed. And in the last twenty years we've

usually seen five fifty win teams in the West. We only have two of the season just a bizarre season with this big clump of teams in the middle. But I'm asking you today, given everything that's happened this season, where you guys started where you are now, it sounds like you feel pretty good about things. But who should be favored to come out of this Western Conference? Steph Curry healthy? I think so, sources say Clay Thompson, and

I saw Clay said that the other day. He said the the OC goat said that if we're healthy, nobody can beat us in a seven game series or like our chances in a seven game series. I think I can tell you personally, I'm pretty healthy. No one at this point pretty healthy. Body feels good. Looni's healthy, Jordan Poole's healthy. I think the Warrior should be the favorite because, quite frankly, you know, Steiny, Hey, you guys want to

look like geniuses. Let's go all right now and say the Warrior's gonna look the Warrior's gonna win a championship, and in about two and a half months, the Warriors are going back to back. You're saying it here, can I get us thought? I'm just telling you. I told y'all last year, and you wanted to give a thought and you didn't jump on the bandwise your opportunity to

look like a genius. So I'm just telling you again you know no. But honestly, though, um and all seriousness, I think I don't think there's any clear cut favorite in the Western Conference. I think, you know, we love our chances if we're healthy. Um. You know, Denver has had a great year. You see everybody saying they're not, you know, afraid to play Denver. That's neither here nor there. You know, Memphis has had a great year of Sack has had a great year. Phoenix adding KD, hasn't lost

a game without KD. The Lakers are a totally different team now than they were to start the year. Clippers, will they get Paul George back? I think that matters. Russ is playing at a high level now, like everyone has grown accustomed to rush plan over the years. I think it's a lot that can happen. And if I'm you know, I never really take this stand on anything, but if I'm being honest with you, I think it's wide open. I think it is wide open as we've

ever seen it before. And that's no cop out. You know, I'm always gonna be real. I'm not just gonna come on here and say the Warriors should be the favorite just because I play with the Warriors. That's not how I roll. Do I think the Warriors could win the championship? I one hundred percent. We believe we can win a championship. But guess what, the Warriors also could have missed the playoffs. That was also or possibility two days ago, you know.

And so I'm always going to be honest. I do think we have a great opportunity and I think, you know, like Clay said in the seven game series, I haven't seen anyone beat us healthy in the seven game series. I said that last year. I said again, no one has proven that they can do that yet. Until someone proves that they can do that, I always believe that it's us. But in saying that, I think it is why though, well look this, I knew this was gonna be good, but it was even better than I hoped.

And again to complete this lopsided trade that we absolutely robbed you. Now, so you said, your policy is you do not do interviews during the playoffs. So is your podcast changing during the playoffs. It's just just gonna be y, No, so I didn't. I didn't do interviews during the playoffs last year. I just did. I just did a bunch

of podcasts. So you may shut like I did, gosh, but I really during the playoffs, I really just lock in on the games and break down games because as you guys know, man, the scheduling gets tough and for me and scheduling guests during the playoffs and trying to like, man, I don't even focus on my wife during the playoffs, and I love her so much. She's the best. My kids are incredible, Like I try to unless I'm in

between series. I stayed like this on the game, and I can watch other games and I'll break those games down because I'm consumed with basketball and also watching possible opponents. But just as far as like doing interviews and stuff during the playoffs, unless we lose early, then I'll start, like doing some interviews. But if we're in it, like I'll be breaking down games and doing that whole thing. But it just trying to schedule and work around different

people schedule. Like I'm all for that during the regular season and like you know, you have to continue to live your life, but during the playoff, nothing else matters, but the playoffs, and so I just don't really be wanting to hassle trying to make schedules work in different things and taking away my focus from the playoffs. It's one thing. It's one thing of me coming to this hotel room after a game, popping my laptop up, popping

my light up, and shooting a podcast. Right. Um, it takes me all the twenty twenty five minutes to do that, but you start getting in the interviews and you know, it gets me out of character a little bit, and like, I just like to stay locked there, So I don't really do them during the playoffs. Well, Dre, you're on the road, You're you're important, I believe, sir. Nice nice hotel. I believe I know the hotel that is. But Dre makes sure you stay away from those small hotel soaps.

I didn't get to see what Chuck said that the day I'm gonna hotel so I saw, but I saw like a headline there says why Chuck said he will never use hotel. So don't watch it. Don't watch I'm not sure why try try he said. He said he carries his own big bars of soap with him now. Because the hotel soaps are so small that he that he had an accident that it almost disappeared. Chuck say that for somebody who want to hear that. Man, No,

I keep my soul with me. One thing my wife jud has done, and she makes sure I keep my soap with me when I go to hotels and not using bad soap that ain't quite great for your skin. She makes sure I keep my skincare routine with me, uh you know, and make sure I'm dialed in there. So I like to keep my soap. But Chuck man say that ship for somebody who aren't hearing Chuck. Nobody want to hear that way too much information, God Lee.

Somebody says, hey, somebody says to Charles Barkley, man, this is getting like like I said in the hallway when I when I saw you, h you your podcast. You don't even need guests. You like you said, you turn on the mic, open the laptop, and you're a smash hit. But we needed we need guests on this fledgling little podcast, so we were grateful to host you today on this league uncut. And when you are ready to resume interviewing,

Haines and I will be there too. After eleven years of throwing questions at you, you get to fire all the questions at us. I'm looking forward to that, fellas, I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to just having that conversation because I think so oftentimes it gets lost. Like I said at the start of this, when I speak new media and old media, there's a space for both their audience for both. And quite frankly, we all

live in the same bubble. And you know, I always speak about how like man like this game works and fees all of our families, you know, and at the end of the day, you know, I know oftentimes things are so separate, but we're all one group putting together a product that ultimately is sold to the masses, and it's created a wonderful life for all of us. And so I don't take that for granted. I never look

at it like it's any hard feelings at time. Doesn't get emotional, of course, but what doesn't get emotional when it matters. I think anything that matters gets emotional, And so you know, it's never really any hard feelings. You do get heated, and things are will always get heated, but ultimately it's one big team, NBA, NBA reporters, NBA players, NBA staff, NBA media. It's all one big team ultimately putting together the best product in the world to be sold.

And I'm very thankful and appreciative of that. I'm appreciative if you brothers and all that you are bringing to the game and the diligence that you do and doing your work, because it doesn't go unnotice our game honestly, like I can do as much as as many podcasts as I want, um, Ultimately, it is not building the

game the way you guys build the game. I'm not doing it every day, right, I'm not breaking down things and keeping up on all of the current things that you guys are, And so I don't take that for granted, and I'm looking forward to grilling the hell out of y'all soon. And you're not spying. You're not spying for the Calves either, I'm not. Hayes is definitely spine. One day, I was a drink and he's going to admit it to me. He was texting. He was he was texting

Lebron notes after Warrior's practicing. I appreciate y'all appreciate good luck in the playoffs. Man. Thanks to ILL for doing this, absolutely, thank you. I see both of y'all soul and that'll do it for us. See you next time. This League Uncut is an iHeartRadio production BUSCKA Loca Chris Haines and Mark Steyne.