Draymond Green has heard chatter about Golden State possibly missing the playoffs, and finds it “crazy.”
Green says Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors will relish having “that underdog chip back.”
Draymond, who inked a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Dubs this summer, adds that he found out when everyone else did that his “brother” and now-former teammate Kevin Durant was joining the Brooklyn Nets.
Per ESPN:
“I’ve heard people say we’re not gonna make the playoffs. That’s crazy to me,” Green said in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on Wednesday’s The Jump. “I mean, that’s just, like, that’s total disrespect, but no different than the disrespect we’ve all been getting for years.”
Whether it’s the odds or just chatter, Green said he’s fine with hearing skepticism around his team.
“I like it,” he said. “You know, being the underdog. It’s been a while since we been the underdog. But it brings that underdog chip back, and I miss that chip. I’m pretty sure Steph [Curry] missed that chip, and some of the stuff Klay been texting me this summer, I’m positive he misses the chip. So to the oddsmakers, thanks. You got me where I am today. I look forward to where they take me again.”
The Golden State Warriors are gonna look very different from here on out. The biggest departure is, of course, Kevin Durant. Have you talked to Kevin the summer?
Green: “Absolutely. I actually talked to K yesterday. You know, Kevin is my brother. He came to Golden State for three seasons. We won two championships … if someone would’ve told me, man, Kevin Durant’s gonna come to the Warriors and you guys are gonna win two championships and then have a shot at winning a third, would you take that? In a heartbeat. And so that was a major success. That’s my brother, and I’m happy for him.
“Because, you know, not many times in life do you get to do what you wanna do. He’s worked his ass off and had the opportunity to do what he wanted to do. And he did exactly that. And someone who puts the amount of effort that that guy puts into the game of basketball, he deserves to do exactly that.”
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