I think when you look around this league, so much is scripted. And not scripted in a sense that the league is scripted, but when guys talk, it's like, 'Say this. Yeah, come out and say that.' Like, nah, I'm not doing that. I'm going to say what's on my mind. I'm going to say what's on my heart. It's just genuine speaking.
— Draymond Green
Everything can't be sweet. Everything can't be peaches and cream.
Become a good all-around human being.
I have friends in prison. I send them money. I send them food. They say, 'Bro, get me out of here.' There's nothing I can do. They're five years in on a 20-year sentence. They went in at 16, they'll get out at 36. That's a lifetime.
I will not feel like I've made it until the day I retire from basketball because there's something that I can always get better at, and there's always somebody better, and that's what drives me.
I can see things before they happen on the court.
I'm not as athletic as some guys, so I have to counter that with a tremendous brain that thinks the game.
One thing I've always been taught at the defensive end is you hit first. In life, you throw the first punch; you don't get punched first. It's the same on defense: You've got to hit first. Do your work early. That's what I was always taught. If you don't do your work early, you're done.
All 'potential' means to me is that you haven't proved anything.
I'm trying to make the Hall of Fame.
Sometimes it's tougher against bad teams because you can't really get a read on them.
You learn from adversity more than anything because it allows you to see so much. It really allows you to see things in a different way.
When I do things, I'm all-in.
If you've got to second-guess talking to a teammate, what you have will never work.
I've never been a guy who has said 'OK' about stuff. That's not me. That's not my personality. If I think something's wrong, I express that.
I'm blessed. I get to play the game I love for a living and make a lot of money doing it.
I love playing basketball. And to be able to continue to play as a job, that's the best to me.
My mom. Growing up with her, she always taught us to say whatever. Like, 'You think something, say it. Don't bite your tongue for people.' I think there's a fine line with that, but at the same time, I'm a firm believer in speaking your mind.
I think it's cool to read that Draymond Green is transcending the NBA. I also think it's cool to read that Draymond Green is terrible.
I had a great time at Michigan State, but no four years will compare to Saginaw High.
I'm not going to worry about proving people wrong. My goal isn't to prove people wrong. You can't worry about what other people say.
It just doesn't go with my story to be a first round pick, because I had to grind my whole life.
I may not be the most athletic, but I understand the game.
When the ball isn't in my hands, I'm already scanning for where the next pass is going.
There are certain guys in the league that get their rhythm off their dribble.
The fans at Quicken Loans Arena are pretty hostile. They say nasty things.
Every year, I strive to be the best defensive player in the league.
I watch basketball all day every day. So when I'm watching the games, I watch it - I just enjoy watching basketball - but when I'm watching other people play, I'm really just watching as a student trying to figure different things out.
I'm human, and I make mistakes.
The goal is to win a championship. Every team enters the season with the goal to win the championship, but realistically, there are five or six teams with a realistic shot at winning a championship.
I'm a huge fan of basketball. Any time you get a chance to watch basketball, I do it.
I grew up in a household where my mom made $16,000 a year. I know the struggle. I know how to keep those things in perspective, and I do keep it into perspective.
I don't really mind any scrutiny. It doesn't bother me. I'm going to still live my life and do everything I do the same way and not lose any sleep.
At the end of the day, I continue to think I can get better, and that's always my focus.
My fire is my gift and my curse. I harness it 95% of the time, but the 5% I don't, it works against me.
In the NBA, there's always a guy who is only around because he can jump. He doesn't have a clue about the fundamentals. I learn more from the WNBA. They know how to dribble, how to pivot, how to use the shot fake.
Be remembered for the right things.
Every time you make a jump, whether it's from high school to college or college to the NBA, you're going to hear questions about your athletic ability.
If you're not getting better, you're getting worse.
I see the game differently than some guys. I'm always reading the next move.
I've been pretty broke my entire life. I'm not going to live that same life, but I'm going to keep those same principles.
Every decision I make is, 'How is this helping me become a billionaire?'
People will always try to change you. They will always want you to be who they want you to be. That's fine because I'll always be exactly who I want to be.
Bogut - I wouldn't be the defender I am without Bogut. He taught me a ton. Angles. How to guard the post. You name it, he taught me a ton.
The more time you spend with somebody, the more your relationship grows.
There's the Draymond Green you see out on the floor. But that's not me. I mean, it is, but there's more. People see the fiery guy, the competitive guy, the trash talk and everything. But they don't see the love and compassion. They don't see the person. They don't see the real me, who values his friends and puts people first.
Let me get my money's worth if I'm going to get some techs.
After a game, I really just relax with the family.
I have the mindset of a mid-level guy or a minimum guy. My path here wasn't expected: my path wasn't that I was going to the NBA and making $16 million a year. So I identify more with those guys, and I want to be a voice for them. I want to help them elevate their status in the league. That's my goal.
You see the guys sign the big contract, you see everybody on TV, but you don't see all the work that goes into that. It's a grind. And a lot of people don't see that grind.
