In this monologue, Draymond Green critiques the media and fan narratives that label Kevin Durant’s reported trade request as a sign of weakness. He argues that NBA players, like professionals in any industry, are businessmen who must make strategic career moves to maximize their financial and personal goals. Green highlights the short lifespan of athletic careers and the massive contracts signed by top players—citing figures such as Nikola Jokić’s $270 million deal, Devin Booker’s $224 million extension, and others—to illustrate that these decisions are high‑stakes business transactions. He emphasizes that athletes are building generational wealth for their families and should be judged on business acumen rather than perceived loyalty to a team. Green also references his own upcoming contract extension (August 3) as an example of planning for the future. The overall message is a call for the public to recognize athletes as businesspeople and to stop perpetuating narratives that paint career moves as cowardice.
Chapters
What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. Let's talk Brooklyn Nets. There was something very interesting that I've been thinking about. And the reason I've been thinking about it is because immediately the first thing you saw when it was announced that Kevin Durant requested a trade was, The whole narrative started. KD's running from this, he's doing this, you know, it gets hard, he doesn't stay, blah, blah, blah. And I sat there and I asked myself, if KD did indeed request a trade, is that KD saying, Partially, I made a mistake. And I answered the question for myself, 'cause obviously I'm not gonna ask Kevin that, or why would I ask Kevin that? But I answered it for myself and I said, possibly yes, possibly no. But regardless if it's yes or no, why does it matter? Yeah. Like if Kevin Durant says, I actually don't wanna be here anymore, I wanna go to somewhere else. Why does it matter? Why does that make you weak? Why does that make you, why does that make him, you know, it means he's running from something. I don't understand that. And the reason I don't understand it is because players, are in control of their situation. Players are in control of their destiny. And so why is it that it's just not— that's the next step in his career. Because again, I always go back to if a guy leaves Google or, or if someone leaves Google to go to Apple after 3 or 4 years and then they leave Apple after 2 years to go to Tesla, and then they leave Tesla after 4 years to go to DocuSign. No one's going to say that person ran, that person did this, or that person did that. Everyone's going to say that person did what was best for their career and best for their livelihoods. But us as athletes, it's never viewed that way. Yeah. And it's baffling to me that it's never viewed that way because our lifespan in— with this career is actually way shorter than someone that's working at Google or working at Apple or anyone else in the world for that matter that's not an athlete for the most part. Why can't you do everything you can to get it right? Even if that means making a wrong move and continuing on. Why is it that athletes are viewed that way? It's baffling to me. It, it really baffles me that we've put ourselves in a position, we have become the absolute best at what we do, which is if you're in the NBA, you are at the absolute top of the, of the, of the food chain when it comes to basketball. And if you are the absolute best, like someone at Apple would be, like someone at Google would be, why is it such a, bad thing that we control our destiny, but you work that hard to be as good as you can be to have that power. That's baffling to me, and I'm still trying to figure it out. When I saw the narratives and I saw all of these things, and I'm like, but why is that? And I personally think— I personally think it goes back to some things that I've said in the past and how people view athletes. How people can't accept, people can't accept the fact that athletes are now businessmen and no longer just playing basketball. And at some point people have to realize and be able to accept the fact that athletes are businessmen and we make business moves and business decisions. Because you are operating a business. I am operating Draymond Green Inc. or whatever you wanna call it. So why, if Draymond Green makes a move, a business move, is it not viewed as just that? Let's talk about the move that's made. Is it, is that a good move for business or is it not? But to start calling somebody weak and they run from challenges, That's baffling to me because that man has worked his entire life to be in that position to where he controls where he goes next. And by the way, everyone in the NBA can't control where they go next. So to be in that position, to have the opportunity to control what you do next, that's the American dream. That is the American dream. Yet. Athletes, Kevin Durant in particular in this situation, is killed for it. And it makes no sense to me. And what it shows me is those that do that, they still have not adjusted to the fact that athletes are businessmen and at some point, or businesswomen. And at some point you gotta be able to make that adjustment. Because if not, you're gonna keep throwing these terrible narratives out there and missing the big picture, which is very simple. We're not just playing the game of basketball no more. This is big business. You see all these contract extensions, Nikola, Joker, Jokic, $270 million in 5 years. For 5 years, guess what? The next one he'll probably sign for $450 million. That's big business. That's no peanuts. It's the largest contract in NBA history. You gotta make right business moves when you're making that type of money. People gotta realize that. Devin Booker. Mm-hmm. $224 million extension. Karl-Anthony Towns, $224 million extension. Ja Morant, $193 million, possibly $231. Zion Williamson, the same thing. Brad Beal, $230— I think it was $34 million or somewhere in that ballpark. Like, that's big business. Darius Garland. $193, could be $231. Zach Lavine, $230 million. You gotta make good decisions when you talking this type of money. And so the fact that guys are, have put themselves in positions to be the driver of the bus, as everybody say, you gotta drive that bus when you talking these contracts too. Not just how someone wants to see you on the court, This is the, the NBA is no longer flying commercial and making 60 grand a year. Draymond Green, 5 years, 270. Let me do the math. 50 would be 250. 5, that's $54 million a year. You know how many people in the world make $54 million a year? And yet people still can't wrap their head around the fact that athletes are businessmen. And that's why they drive these terrible ass narratives. Somebody's weak 'cause they're making a business decision because they're controlling their future as opposed to simply getting to understand it. But at some point they'll get it. Maybe when it's, maybe it's gonna happen once you see more and more guys in team ownership. More and more guys in team ownership in other sports, not just basketball. Maybe they'll get it then. But until then, I guess we gotta keep listening to these narratives about how a guy's weak and he's doing this and he's doing that. But my hope for all athletes in this position is that you can see past the narrative and that you can understand that you, the how important it is for you to make the right decision for your business. It's very, very important. It's way more important than just basketball. This is a business and make sure you operate in that way because if not, you get left behind. And so big shouts out to all of those guys. And it's not just those guys, those were huge ones, but big shouts out to all of those guys for getting their contracts. This is what it's all about. You do this, you put your bodies through all of this, you put your mental through all of this, you put your emotions through all of this, ultimately to feed your family, to change the family history, to change what the family looks like and for generations, it's generational wealth being built. So big shouts out to all of those guys and congratulations. Draymond Green's extension date is August 3rd. So looking forward to that date as well. Um, could possibly be a good day. We shall see.
