1:26 AM
Draymond Green says he has found love and joy for the game again after two up-and-down seasons.
Green made the statement after leading the Warriors to a dominating win against the Raptors.
Green said that he had found that love again after the victory. The love kind of fades a little bit after a lot of s---. I'm enjoying playing basketball and controlling what I can, and I've found that love and joy for the game. I focused on controlling what I could control this year. That means on the court, that means with the referees, that means off the floor, that's just a step in my life, and I think it shows on the basketball court.
Green acknowledged that his children have played a major role in his desire to prove that he's one of the best basketball players in the NBA again. After helping the Warriors reach five straight NBA Finals between 2015 and 2019, some wondered if Green could still play at the highest level after two lackluster seasons in which he battled various injuries and inconsistencies.
Green said the motivation he has gotten from his family has helped propel his impressive start to the season, as he's averaging 8.1 points, 7.6 assists and 7.5 rebound while playing high-level defense.
If we lose, my oldest daughter and my son get on my ass. That's motivation. I think my kids don't understand how good I am because I've been there for a couple years. I want them to know how good I am. That is motivation for me. When I was at the top of my game, they were like 3 and 1, so that motivates me to play well in front of them so they know what I do.
I want to win, I want to be a defensive player of the year again, and I want to be an All-Star again. A lot of people thought I was out. A lot of people doubted me when I first came into the league, but they did it before. That is fuel to the fire.
The extra fire that Green has started the season with has been noticed by his teammates and coaches, and they know it's a huge reason why they've had so much success.
Steve Kerr thinks Draymond Green is the best defender in the world. He's had an unbelievable start to the season. He's so focused. He's so engaged every night.
Otto Porter Jr. called Green the anchor of the defense. While winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics has helped Kerr's push to start the season, he has noted how much he felt for Green.
"I think he knows that we go as far as he goes, as well as the rest of our vets," Warriors guard Jordan Poole said. The last two years have been rough, but I think he gets the sense that we're back. We have a chance to do this. The guys with experience are doing a good job from the beginning, trying to put us in the best possible situation to be ready for that.
Green said that he is feeling " incredible" to start the season and that he is moving up and down the floor with a lot of energy.
Green said that he takes better care of his body today than he has before. I don't drink like I used to. I used to chase it a bit. I am 31 years old and I try to make sure my body is in good shape so I can go. Lifting more than I have before.
Green explained how he's feeling on the road and how confident he is that he can continue to play well.
Green said that he can run down the stairs when they play on the road. I used to walk down the stairs with my feet hurting. I feel great.
Green is cautious as the hype around his team builds, but he knows that the addition of Klay Thompson and James Wiseman will only make them even deeper.
Green said that he wasn't surprised that it was going well, but that he was surprised that it was going as fast as it was. There's some truth to that. We haven't had the toughest schedule in the world, but you can only play who they put out there in front of you, so I think we're handling our business the right way. We need to continue to get better, though, because we have a lot of confident guys. We have a long way to go.
