“It's never about the amount of points I score, I just wanna leave my imprint on the game” – Draymond Green shares his motivation behind his performances in NBA, says he didn't expect to start for the Warriors initially
Draymond Green is entering the 11th year of his NBA career. He has been a key player for the Golden State Warriors along with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Green recently spoke about what motivates him to keep going:
On "The Draymond Effect," Green talked about what motivates him to continue playing every other night. He said:
"Ten years in what motivates me is several things. Number one, my children are now of age to where they can see me and understand what's going on on the floor. I wanna try to be my best and play my best so they can see that and understand that.
"Number two, I still think I have a lot left in the tank to give to this game. It's never about the amount of points I score. I always just wanna leave my imprint on the game. When I came into this league, getting on the court was not an option. Getting on the court seemed like such a far-fetched goal."
The Warriors have enjoyed plenty of success since Draymond Green became a starter. He was selected with the 35th pick in the 2012 draft and played his first two seasons coming off the bench.
After Green was promoted to a starter, he helped the Warriors win their first NBA title since 1975. His presence was felt more on the defensive end and in cleaning the glass.
Fans have continuously expressed disappointment with Draymond Green not scoring as much but the four-time All-Star is not bothered by that. He likes his role of being the defensive anchor and a creator.
Last season, Green helped the Warriors win their fourth NBA title in the last eight years.
Draymond Green has proven himself to be a high-level scorer in the past
Green is not known for his scoring and that has worried some fans. Although he has never consistently been a high-volume scorer, he has shown that he can.
Perhaps the most vivid example is his inspirational performance in the 2016 finals. In that series, he led his team in scoring twice. In Game 7 of the 2016 finals, Green registered a game-high 32 points and 15 rebounds, outscoring LeBron James.
Throwback to when Draymond Green went off in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals
32 Points
15 Rebounds
9 Assist
2 Steals
73/75/100%
Lead all Players in PTS, REB, 3PM and FGM that Game 🤯
https://t.co/nM53PdguT3
The former defensive player of the year knocked down six three-pointers in eight attempts and was one assist shy of a triple-double. Unfortunately, his efforts alone were not enough to spur the Warriors to victory.
The 73-9 Warriors lost the series despite having a 3-1 lead. Failure to win the title left room for debate regarding who the better team is between them and the 1996 72-10 Chicago Bulls.
The Warriors start their season on October 19 against the LA Lakers at home.
We are likely to witness another low-scoring season from Draymond Green. They have many scorers and Green will do everything else in between.