Things got interesting on the sidelines during the Warriors‘ recent game against the Lakers. As Los Angeles stormed to a 129-101 victory, Draymond Green tried his best to light a fire under teammates, only to be met with a seemingly judgmental star-down by his longtime teammate, Stephen Curry. After the clip went viral this week, Green addressed the rumors of a falling out between the pair.
“I see a lot of people’s reactions, like oh man Steph’s tired of Draymond, and quite honestly, what I saw in the video and what I’ve taking away from the video, and be that I talk to Steph every day, Was that he was in agreeance of what I said we were getting our ass kicked, so you’re not going to be sitting there smiling or enthused,” said Green on his podcast. “I love how everyone tries to project their energy about me onto Steph. When, quite honestly, their energy really doesn’t f*cking matter when it comes to me… I think the reaction to it was pretty hilarious.”
Steph is currently sidelined with an injury, and he isn’t due back for a few more weeks. As the Warriors fight to stay afloat in the West, he’s stuck watching from the sidelines, hoping for the best. After so long playing with Draymond, he’s heard plenty of court-side rants over the years, but the degree of success has greatly varied.
In this latest case, it wasn’t nearly enough for the Warriors to secure a win, but it doesn’t mean that Steph has any lingering resentment toward Dray. They won four championships together, and Green played a big role in the run as the defensive anchor and enforcer of the team. Nowadays, while Green’s impact has greatly declined, the Warriors still view him as a permanent staple of the franchise.
Over the years, as trade offers have come in for the former Defensive Player of the Year, the Warriors have declined every single one, no doubt based on the directive of Curry, who has long valued Green’s work on the defensive end. After watching his former teammate and co-star Klay Thompson leave a few years ago, Curry doesn’t want to lose his last remaining partner from the glory days.
That means, despite having two years and $52 million left on his deal, Draymond is here to stay for the Warriors. He and Steph want to see it through to the end, even if it means sacrificing better opportunities elsewhere.
