Warriors star Draymond Green has been involved in a number of different controversies over the years. From his “groin kicking” incident to his falling out with Kevin Durant, Draymond seems like a rather complex character — who manages to always stir up trouble.
But, really, there’s a whole other side to him we don’t get to see.
He has been hailed as being a great teammate in the past, so that much is nothing new, but Zach LaVine gave a pretty impressive review of the guy in a recent chat with the media, calling the veteran forward “one of the best teammates” a guy could have.
“Draymond is probably the best leader or teammate you could have,” LaVine said. “He’s out there each and every day watching film with guys, looking at different defensive scouts, bringing guys together. Obviously we know (Kevin Durant) was the best player on the planet at this time in the game, but Draymond was very, very crucial in us winning that gold medal.
We all bonded and I learned stuff from him as well.”
Team USA is fresh off a Gold medal win in Tokyo, which suffered a few bumps along the way. After two early exhibition losses, Team USA played with a renewed sense of urgency to close things out and take home the prize.
Draymond clearly played an enormous role in that.
If you’re seen him play, then you already know that there’s no questioning the fire and passion he brings to the court every game. Whether it’s on the hardwood, on the sidelines, or in the locker room, he can be counted on to hold everyone accountable.
When it comes to what he provides in a physical sense, his ability to create for others is unmatched.
“He’s the smartest basketball player I’ve ever played with,” said Steph Curry. “(Draymond can) execute the angle of the pass, speed of the pass, timing of the pass, whatever it is – he’s a master at it.”
Of course, Curry has been playing beside Green for years now, so we’d expect nothing less than to hear him rave about the guy.
For LaVine, however, that’s a different story. Besides this summer’s Olympic games, the two haven’t really gotten the chance to go into battle together.
And yet, somehow, a single Olympic tournament is enough for Draymond to make such a big impression on the young LaVine.
