"There are some that you gain respect for"- Draymond Green says he has a newfound respect for De'Aaron Fox
De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings fell 120-100 in Game 7 of their first-round series against Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. As a result, the Kings have now been eliminated from the playoffs. However, Fox still won the respect of Green with his performances throughout the series.
Following Game 7, Green was asked what he told Fox after the game ended. Green, who is known to be critical of his opponents, then spoke about the newfound respect he has for the 25-year-old star point guard:
“I just paid my respects,” Green said.
“I’ve been in a lot of playoff series against a lot of different guys. And If I’m honest, you leave most with less respect for a lot of guys. Whether it’s how they act in the moment, how they step up to the pressure. I've lost a lot of respect for guys over the years in the playoffs.
“And then there are some that you gain respect for. There are some that you see, and you know they’re cut from that same cloth you feel like you're cut from. And Fox is one of those guys.”
Draymond Green added that he can relate to Fox’s situation as he also experienced a tough Game 7 loss early on in his career:
“You know, hard-fought battle. Obviously, he’s on the wrong end of it,” Green said.
“We’ve been there before. Like I’ve been to a Game 7 and lost in the first round. That was my second year in the league, we did that against the Clippers. And it’s a part of it. You have to go through that to ultimately reach where you want to go.
“And so I was really just showing my love and respect to him as a competitor. I was honored to compete against him this series.”
"I've lost a lot of respect for guys over the years in the playoffs... then there are some you gain respect for... guys you know are cut from the same cloth you feel like you're cut from."
Draymond Green on the respect he has gained for De'Aaron Fox 👏
https://t.co/Aneu3LbEr9
De’Aaron Fox averaged 27.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.1 steals and 3.0 3-pointers per game on 42.4% shooting over seven games.
Draymond Green on Steph Curry’s historic 50-point Game 7 against Sacramento
The Golden State Warriors were led by superstar point guard Steph Curry in Game 7 against Sacramento. Curry made NBA history by becoming the first player to score 50 points in a Game 7. Curry did so on 52.6% shooting, with 16 of his 50 points coming in the fourth quarter. During his postgame interview, Draymond Green was asked about Curry’s historic performance. Green then spoke about how special it was:
"You talk about the last dance ... that takes things up a couple of notches. So this one definitely feels special," Green said.
"To watch Steph have the game he had, total domination. These are the moments, I'm a basketball fan and as a fan, you can appreciate it. But as his teammate, that's the guy you want to go to war with. ... He left no doubt."
Golden State will next take on the LA Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors lost their season series against LA 3-1.
Game 1 will take place on Tuesday in San Francisco.