Draymond Green on Keys To Knicks vs Spurs NBA Finals Matchup & Steph Curry's Li-Ning Shoe Deal!

In this solo episode of the Draymond Green Show, Draymond reflects on the historic 1999 Knicks‑Spurs Finals and breaks down the 2026 NBA Finals rematch, focusing on player line‑ups, recent performance trends, and key tactical matchups such as Victor Wembanyama versus the Knicks' size‑around‑the‑point‑of‑attack defenders, the impact of Karl‑Anthony Towns' defensive evolution, and Jalen Brunson's offensive role under Mike Brown. He predicts a Knicks Game 1 win and argues the Knicks have more matchup problems for the Spurs. The show then shifts to broader NBA topics: criticism of the knee‑jerk trade talk surrounding Chet Holmgren and OKC, a detailed look at Steph Curry’s $400 M+ Li‑Ning shoe endorsement and its strategic implications, and an analysis of the Orlando Magic’s hiring of Sean Sweeney, linking his background to the development path of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Magic’s young core. Interspersed are sponsor reads (Phoenix tourism, Atari hotel, Shopify, Raycon, 5‑Hour Energy) and a personal announcement about joining Inside the NBA for Games 3‑4. The episode blends historical nostalgia, tactical basketball analysis, market‑side commentary, and personal branding.
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What's up everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show. On today's show, we have officially made it to the NBA Finals. And I will share all of my thoughts ahead of this historic rematch from 1999 when I was 9 years old. And I remember this like it was yesterday, watching that Spurs and Knicks series. Tim Duncan, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, it was the last for David Robinson. Avery Johnson. Like, I remember watching this. And now we got it in the present day and they're running back. Obviously the Spurs took it the last time. We will see if the Knicks can take it this time. We'll also discuss what's next for the Thunder. And we must talk about one of the GOATs, 30 Curry. New shoe deal with Li-Ning. We'll get into that and much, much more. Let's get right into it. Knicks versus Spurs is a rematch of '99, as I said, but it's also a rematch of the in-season Emirates NBA Cup Championship where the Knicks won the game 124 to 113. Now, Must be of note in that game, Wimby played 25 minutes coming off the bench. I think he was coming back from an injury. He was on a minute restriction. So he played 25 minutes and he came off the bench. Harrison Barnes was in the starting lineup and Julian Champagnie was coming off the bench. That's also different. So Luke Cornett started, Harrison Barnes started, Wimby and Champagnie came off the bench. Champagnie, due to during that time of the season, he was coming off the bench. Wimby obviously to a minutes restriction. Well, all of that's changed now. Champagny's in the starting lineup and he just hit 6 threes in game 7 on the road. So, you know, he's coming into this series feeling good. Not to mention he's a Brooklyn, New York kid. So went to St. John's, you know, so he's coming in this, he get to play in the Garden in the NBA Finals. You know, he's feeling great. Yeah. Right? And he's in the starting lineup now. Must I explain what Victor Wembanyama's been doing? He's now obviously playing 35 minutes a game, 40 minutes a game. The minutes has climbed up there and they've climbed up and up and up. And his body has stood, it stood the test. Headed to the NBA Finals. He don't look unhealthy. He's obviously playing. So. He stood the test. So that changes things a little bit in this game. Also, another thing of note is the team that the Spurs were then and who they are now, they've grown up. Through these playoffs, they've grown up even more. But through this season, we played them earlier in the season, kind of right before this, if you recall correctly. Steph Curry had 49. And then we stayed in San Antonio and played them again. And Steph Curry had 46. And so I remember playing that team. The team that we played then is not the team that they are now. That team has grown up so much and they got their lineups together and roles. Like, Kessel's grown up even more. Dylan Harper's grown up. Victor Wembenyama's grown up. So the team has— It's not the same team that it was. In December. However, the New York Knicks are not the same team they were in December. The New York Knicks back in December played a very ball-dominant Jalen Brunson style of basketball. That's not the type of basketball they're playing today. They're playing through Karl-Anthony Towns, outta the high post, KAT's making a ton of decisions. When Jalen gets the ball, he's in a position to make a play. Yeah. Not just score because Jalen can pass the ball, you know, and he'll get you 7 assists, 8 assists. He'll get you 10 assists in a game. He can. And when he gets the ball now, he's just in a position to get it and make a scoring move or make a move, penetrate the defense and kick it out to a shooter. That's the offense that they're running today, which in large part, is the reason that they're still here today. It's because they changed the offense, right? When you talk about Jalen Brunson being a 1A, regardless of whether you think he's a 1A or not, is irrelevant because on that team he is the 1A and they're in the championship and he's continued to prove over years that he's capable in spots of being that. However, he's gotten to the playoffs in spots and teams have been able to make it really hard for him. That does not seem to be the case no more. And I do think the offense change that Mike Brown has implemented has helped. And the reason I say that is because when you look at the style of basketball that they was playing, which is a guard, having the ball all the time. Ball dominant guard having the ball all the time. I think the best we've ever seen do that is James Harden. Play that brand of basketball is James Harden. It's the best ever we've ever seen at that brand of basketball. In my opinion. That exact brand of basketball. James Harden, I think is the best ever. And when they would run into us in Houston, when he was in Houston, ultimately that would become the problem. Not that James Harden was the problem, it's just that you're in front of our defense, you're in front of our entire defense, you're standing in front of us, and now in theory, you gotta go break the whole defense down because you got the ball in front of defense and you are the playmaker. Yeah. So now you gotta break the whole defense down because our whole defense is loaded up to stop you. And I just think over the course of playoffs, when you get further and further in the playoffs and you're playing better and better teams as the playoffs go on, obviously, I just think ultimately that brand becomes a hindrance because then you gotta make every play. You're not as fresh as you were. Months ago, even the beginning of the playoffs, you're not as fresh. And you're playing against a much smarter basketball team at this point in the playoffs than you are in the first round. And so I think it gets tougher. And that's why I think, so when I say Jalen Brunson being a 1A, I'm saying if you gonna play that brand of basketball, it ain't gonna be good enough. However, they've changed the brand of basketball they're playing, which I think ultimately has made Jalen Brunson even better. And which ultimately has allowed this team to take off. This, you're talking a team that's won, that's going to the NBA Finals and they've won. It's taken them 13 games to get there. The last team that I can recall right off the top of my head doing that is the Warriors. That's the last team that I can recall right off the top of my head of winning 12 of their first 13 playoff games and going to the NBA Finals. I said all of that to say, that's no fluke. When you win 12 outta 13 playoff games, and I know last episode I was talking about it being in the East and all of that. Like, I'm always talking my shit. Yeah. Y'all can cry all you want. I don't give a damn. However, winning 12 of 13 playoff games, I don't care if you're playing sisters or the poor, that's no fluke. It's just, it's no fluke. And so this Knicks team is clicking. They are clicking at the right time. All the pieces are falling into place. Unfortunately, Mitchell Robinson broke his pinky. We'll get into that, but I don't take this Knicks team and what they're doing right now as a fluke. I think with the changes they've made from their offensive play to the way Karl-Anthony Towns is defending, remember, I've always said the Knicks is gonna struggle. You can't have two players on the court that don't defend at a high level. And that was Jalen Brunson and KAT. It's gonna be hard to win at this level if you have two players not defending at the highest level. Well, KAT's changed that. And KAT's been defending at a very, very, very high level throughout these playoffs, and especially the last two series, playing at a level defensively, like I said before, that I didn't even know he could play at, 'cause I've never seen him give that type of effort defensively. And so it seems like something has clicked there. And in turn, now, Jalen Brunson has some limitations as far as size, quickness, that's going to hinder him on the defensive end. No big deal. You know why? Because just like I talked about James Harden a couple weeks ago, you ain't— Jalen Brunson's job ain't to go out there and stop nobody. What he does on the offensive end, his job is not to go out there and stop nobody. Yeah, you want him to put up a fight, and don't get me wrong, you want him to show some resistance and not give up a straight line drive. Yes, of course you want all of those things, but You ain't looking for Jaylen, Jaylen Brunson to be your lockdown defender anyway. So, but with that, when you have two guys that you can essentially just pick on, on the court, it's gonna be really hard for your defense. And now if you got one guy that they're trying to pick on, you could, it's so many things you can do to stop that. And so in turn, Cass picked up his level of play on the defensive end. And between that and I think the offensive change, which has allowed Jalen Brunson to be even more elite. And also I think it's been better for KAT because KAT ain't gotta be this crazy scoring option, yet we all know Karl-Anthony Towns can score. So he's being this great playmaker and then scoring when it comes to him. He's having games where he's taking 7 shots, 8 shots, and he's dominating the game. Yeah. That's different than anything he's ever done. In his mind, he's always believed he had to dominate. He only can dominate the game if he's scoring. Ironically, he taking 7 shots and he get to the NBA Finals. I'm chuckling about that because I find it funny. I find it real funny that you got a big man taking 7 shots and— 7 shots. Making all this stuff happen on the offensive end, and that team get to the NBA Finals. I find that very funny. But anyway, when you look at this matchup, you have to ask yourself the question, can the Knicks stop Victor Wembanyama? And I think the answer is no. However, What does it look like? Because you usually don't stop star players. So what does it look like? And what's very important when trying to guard Victor Wembiyama is your point of attack defense is obviously important. And that'll probably be OG Anunoby if I had to guess. You then ask yourself the question, where do you then put Karl-Anthony Towns? Earlier in the year, you would put him on Harrison Barnes. Julian Champagny, you put him on him, they'll run Champagny off a pin down. It can get tough. So then do you just switch that out, right? Like, there are some things, but with putting OG on Wemby, it leaves the question of where do you then put KAT? The reality is at some point throughout this series, KAT's gonna have to guard Wemby some. And he just gotta take on the challenge. And you know what KAT should be thinking and taking on that challenge? Let me just put up a fight, let me do my work early, and let me not foul him and give him points from the free throw line. If he score, he score, we take the ball out, we going back the other way. And the reason that should be KAT's mindset is because We can't get you in foul trouble if we're the Knicks. Can't afford to have you in foul trouble. But also, guess what? There's not a single soul on the planet expecting Karl-Anthony Towns to stop Victor Wembenyama. There's not a soul on the planet. And I think that includes KAT. So with that being said, brother, there's no responsibility for you to stop him. There's only a responsibility of you not to give him anything easy. And in not giving him anything easy is also not fouling. Cat's been doing a better job with the fouling, but it's also because he's been doing a better job of giving effort on the defensive end. See how those two things go hand in hand? Anyway, so we don't need you fouling him like you just about to lock him down. That ain't happening. Nobody's expecting that. Yeah. It's not what you're here for. But we do need you to not give up anything easy during your time on him. However, the primary responsibility will be on OG. [MUSIC] Quick stat for you. Phoenix tourism is up 23%. Hotel occupancy is at 89%. And a developer called Intersection Development, who already has 15 properties live and operating on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, has purchased the land for what might be the most interesting hotel project in the country. It's the first ever Atari hotel. And before you write that off as a novelty concept, consider that the gaming industry just crossed $450 billion. 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Well, in specific of Victor Wembiyama being in the paint, when he is in the paint and he's right near the rim or rolling towards the rim, it's when he's at his most dangerous. He's probably the most dangerous lob threat in NBA history. Yeah. So then what becomes as important, if not even more important, than your point of attack defense— it actually is more important if you ask me— what then becomes most important is the size around the point of attack defender for Wimby. And the size around the point of attack defender for Wimby is not ideal. Jalen Brunson at 6'3". Very ideal Mikal Bridges at 6'8". Ideal Josh Hart at 6'6". An ideal Karl-Anthony Towns at 7 feet. Ideal Mitchell Robinson at 7 feet. Not as ideal, but could get by, Landry Shamet at 6' 4, not ideal Deuce McBride at 6'1". I said all of that to say the size around matters because when Wimby's rolling, OG Anunoby's then gonna have to play some pick and roll coverage, which is where this matchup can get dicey because OG in pick and roll coverage, OG's used to guarding the guard in pick and roll coverage. To then go from guarding the, used to being accustomed to guarding guards mostly who move around, to having to guard a lob threat who actually happens to be probably the best one we've ever seen. It requires a different skillset. So with that, and OG having to guard the guard, your next rotation, I mean, excuse me, having to take the guard some, in the pick and roll, your next rotation guy and the size that that, the height and length that that guy is matters so much because if it's Jalen Brunson that get caught on that tag every time, there's nothing you can do. 'Cause they gonna throw it up to Wimby and he can't impact the ball at all. He's too short. Mikal Bridges can impact that pass. Mitchell Robinson, Carl Anthony Towns. Yeah. Draymond Green, Josh Hart, they all can, they can have an impact on that pass. They can affect that pass in different ways. They can affect that lob. They can stop the lob possibly. So that's where it becomes so important because if you don't have size and they're just throwing to the rim at Wimby, then you don't stand a chance. So the size around the point of attack defender becomes as important when guarding Wemby as anything. And the New York Knicks actually have the size and length to have an effect on the lob, which is Victor, which is when Victor Wemby-Nyama is his most dangerous. And I think that's key in this game. Not ideal at all, Mitchell Robinson breaking his finger. If there's anyone that can break a finger and still be effective at their game and what they do, It's Mitchell Robinson, but it's not ideal him one week leading up into the NBA Finals to break a finger, break a pinky. It's not ideal because number one, people gonna attack the hell outta that hand. You just prepare yourself, see Mitchell like, ah. God's gonna attack that hand. But number two, Mitchell Robinson could possibly be your best defender when guarding Wemby. At least if he's not your best defender, you can at least use those 6 fouls because they give you a different look, right? You're talking athletic, you're talking bouncy, you're talking length, a completely different look than what Karl-Anthony Towns give defensively. And when you got great players like Wemby, you need sometimes to throw that change and look up at— And I don't know how effective or how much this is going to impact Mitchell Robinson, You know, will he reach with that hand or will he try to go with the wrong hand and put him out of position, right? Like, those are the type of things and the ways that it can impact Mitchell Robinson. So we'll have to see, but it's unfortunate because he would've been one of the better defenders on Mitchell Robinson. Now you talk about who's gonna guard Wemby, flip the coin. Who's gonna guard Jalen Brunson? And I think that answer is none other than Stefan Castle. That's who Steph Castle's been. He's guarding the best player. He just guarded the MVP of the NBA. You know he's roll— and beat them in 7, held him in check for pretty much the entire series. You know he's rolling in on a high and he think he coming in to take Jalen Brunson completely out the series. He thinking, if I just did this to Shay, what do you think I'm gonna do to Jalen Brunson? That's what he's thinking. Now, Where this matchup could skew towards San Antonio is Jalen Brunson plays much bigger than he is. Jalen Brunson has a post game. He takes smaller guards to the post. Jalen Brunson get into the paint. He bump you and create space. He's elite at all of that stuff. So is Stephon Castle at guard. He's fast, he has the size, he has the strength, he has the mentality. And so this matchup is key. This matchup right here is really key. And I think Stephon Castle is built to guard Jalen Brunson. But Jalen Brunson's smart. He always figures out a way. But Steph Castle is built to guard Jalen Brunson. Mm-hmm. And he plays in that mid-range area. Now, that's where Shai plays. Jalen Brunson will shoot the 3 a bit more, but I am really keyed in on this matchup. Really keyed in on this matchup. And I think it's gonna have a large impact on what happens in this series. You have to ask yourself, who's the swing player for both teams? Draymond Green. It's Julian Champagny, it's Dylan Harper, but more importantly, you need a great De'Aaron Fox. You need De'Aaron Fox to step up this series. You're gonna need a good Fox. For the Knicks, Josh Hart. Will Josh Hart swing the series? Will he shoot the ball well like he did when they were playing off of him? Against the Cavs, when they were playing off of him against the Pistons. Will he shoot the ball well? How does he play offensively? Josh Hart likes to get to the paint. Wemby being in the paint, how does that affect that, right? So I think that could neutralize Josh Hart possibly with Wemby being at the rim. Josh Hart gotta beat Wemby down the floor. Wemby runs the floor well, right? So that could affect his swing. Status. Mikal Bridges has been playing great. I could see Mikal Bridges swinging this series for the Knicks, right? I could really see him swinging this series for the Knicks. So you talking two teams that ain't been to the finals in a while. And pretty much most of the players with the exception of Harrison Barnes, Luke Kurnett, and OG Anunoby, a young OG Anunoby in Toronto. Game 1 of this series is extremely important. And if I'm the New York Knicks, I'm coming in like, yo, I need to steal this game 1 right away. These guys are coming off a very emotional game 7 win over the defending champs. We've been at home resting. They may be a little tired. We need to pounce game 1. We need to put fear in these boys game 1. That has to be the mindset for the Knicks. Now, here's the thing. The Knicks last game 1, when they had the long layoff, They should have lost. And this Spurs team ain't the Cavs. They give this Spurs team a 20-point lead, I don't think they're coming back. So with what happened in game 1 of the Knicks, like last series, I think you gotta wonder if they're gonna come out with that same hangover. You gotta wonder if the Spurs— Draymond Green. Are still gonna be a little vulnerable because they're riding the high of that Game 7 win. So it's two interesting dynamics here that could work against both of these teams. Ultimately, who's going to figure it out and take Game 1? And quite honestly, I, I think I'm gonna go with the more experienced team. I'm gonna go with the New York Knicks to take Game 1. I think ultimately when I say the Knicks are gonna win, I think the Knicks actually cause more matchup problems for Spurs than the Spurs cause for them. In particular, we spoke about the Knicks changing their offense. Well, if Karl-Anthony Towns is out at the top of the floor and you have to guard him with Wimby, all of those, that curl action and all that stuff going on, they're gonna be in the paint getting layups and dunks. For Wimby to go from the top of the floor to get all the way back to the rim with a shooter like Karl-Anthony Towns, that causes matchup problems. And I don't think— Yeah. You can put Devin Vassell on Karl-Anthony Towns like you did Chet Holmgren. I'm also gonna go with the New York Knicks to win this series. This is a series that can go either way. I think this series can go either way. I think ultimately the New York Knicks are more primed and ready right now than the Spurs. Spurs still ain't been through nothing. They ain't been through much, right? And so now granted, these series again, these series, they age you fast, right? So they're not your typical young team anymore, 'cause these series, you go through shit in these series and they age you fast. So however, the Knicks, they gotta be feeling it. They gotta feel good about it. And they gotta go steal game 1. And like I said, I also think they win this series. However, for the Spurs, this is the potential— potentially the beginning of something that can go on for a very long time. For the Knicks, you have to wonder, if they don't win, how long can they keep the core together? But it looks so great through these playoffs that you probably gotta give it another year. So I actually don't think it's make or break for either team.— But it could be your only chance at winning a championship. You never know. We all think the Spurs are just about to start this run. But we all said, OKC, or not we all, y'all all said, OKC is gonna win for the next 7 years. And there it is, someone else creep up fast and boom, just like that. Everybody's talking about OKC and how everything's going wrong, and which we'll get into, right? Just like that. That's how fast it changes. Just like that, people jump off the bandwagon and don't wanna see you win anymore. Just like that. So, we'll see if this is the beginning of something for the Spurs, if this is the end of something for the Knicks, Or if it's the beginning of something for the Knicks and the Spurs gonna need to retool a little bit. Not retool, but like may need something to get over the hump. We shall see. Father's Day is right around the corner. And if you're still figuring out what to get the dad in your life, I've got you covered. This message is sponsored by Raycon. Raycon's Essential Open Earbuds have been a total game changer and it feels like they were made for dads. 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Still a player, but for anyone in media to have the opportunity to do something with the NBA Finals is special. So I'm excited as hell. I'm expecting these Knicks fans to be crazy excited. I'm expecting them to be jumping off the wall. They've been waiting for this for 26 years. And for me, myself personally, I catch a lot of flack from Knicks fans. So I'm actually expecting to get a very warm welcome as I walk through that arena. But it'll be fun and I'll have fun with it and it'll be great. But man, am I honored that I'll have the opportunity to do games 3 and 4 live from the Garden. So I'll see you all there. And I may wear an all orange Knicks suit like Spike. We'll see. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] With that, there's been a lot of chatter of what's next for OKC. And there's been so much talk about, oh my God, what do they need to do? Do they need to trade Chet? They need to get rid of Luke Dort. They need to do all these things. And it's crazy, man, how people flip because Chet had an awful series and I did not love the way it went, right? Like you watch it and it just wasn't enough. Like, bro, you gotta go down swinging. And it just didn't feel like Chet went down swinging. For that, I understand criticizing Chet and all of that, but acting like he's just a bum and he should be traded, like, I thought all of that talk is ridiculous and premature, and it's the exact way that franchises set themselves back and never grow. There's so many, it's the exact reason that so many franchises don't have the ultimate success. Because most franchises actually panic and do what everyone's saying they should do, which is, "Oh man, we gotta trade Chet right now." Man, Chet was just second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, All-Defense First Team, All-NBA Third Team, um, All-Star, And he have a bad playoff series and everybody like, "Oh, time to trade him." And I just can't understand for the life of me why that's always the first thing everybody say. If you just gonna trade a guy when they go through a rough time, how do you ever build anything? Y'all gonna have GMs calling Sam Presti like, "Oh man, we take Chet." And Sam not gonna even, like, "What?" Hang up in their face. Like— Yeah. Not trading Chet Holmgren. I found it crazy that everybody's just like, "Oh man, this guy need to be traded." Like, really? What about, how about this guy need to go back and get in the lab and get better and go work on his game because this guy just exposed all your weaknesses and showed everything that you need to get better at. What about the criticism of he need to get back in the lab this summer and be motivated and get better? Why is it we need to trade him? Like, these takes, they just seem to get a little lazy at times to me. Like, trade him? Why is all of a sudden everything always about a trade? Oh, trade this guy, trade that guy, trade— like, what? I just don't understand it. So no, I don't expect Chet Holmgren to be traded. They will have to make some moves because I also don't foresee OKC paying $250 million in salary and taxes next year and going into the second apron. I don't see that either. So they will have to make some decisions. Maybe Lou Dort, maybe Hardenstein, maybe trade Joe, maybe trade Wiggins. Like they're gonna have to make some tough decisions for sure. Maybe they trade them picks because if they sign their 12th and 17th pick and they keep those and draft those players, It's gonna cost them in the first year of those salaries $80 million. Over the course of those two players. So maybe they do some of that stuff. But the whole, "Draymond Green, he's trade check hungry," it's blasphemous. What he did this year? He had a rough go against arguably the best player in the NBA right now, currently. Arguably, people, some people wanna argue it. And we should trade him? You ask yourself the question, well, if we trade him, who are we getting back that's gonna be better suited to? Huh. Motherfuckers start, "Oh, oh, I don't know." So come on, let's stop with all the trade talk. Chet, get back in the lab, get better, be motivated this summer. You wouldn't get to where you at if you weren't that guy. And then take your shot, but never go down without swinging again. You gotta go down swinging. Can't go down without swinging, but Trey Chat hungry? Enough, guys. Enough. You know how much I love staying locked in, energized, and completely focused. But let's be honest, caffeine just got a massive, much-needed flavor upgrade. 5-Hour Energy Shots are bringing you tasty caffeine in a variety of bold flavors. It gives you as much caffeine as a 12-ounce premium cup of coffee, but with zero sugar and absolutely zero sugar crash. Right now, I am absolutely loving how they reimagined the classic popsicle with Firework Freeze 5-Hour Energy Shot. We are talking juicy cherry, citrusy lime, and candy-like blue raspberry, all combining together to create a bold flavor explosion in every single sip. It is the exact iconic freezer pop flavor you crave with none of the sugar, making it the perfect portable hassle-free treat whenever you need a quick boost. You can spark a tasty flavor sensation with these 5 shots today. Ignite your taste buds with a Firework Freeze flavor 5-Hour Energy Shot. Now available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. Now it's time for us to move around the NBA And first and foremost, we must talk about Steph Curry signing a shoe endorsement contract with Chinese company Li-Ning. What I do know is that the agreement will include basketball products, athleisure lifestyle wear, the ability for Steph to sign male and female athletes under his Curry brand, as well as a full golf line, which I know that probably sold him more than anything. Li-Ning also plans to build Curry brand stores in the United States and in China. One factor that was key in his decision to go with Li-Ning, they said, was the comfort while he was testing the shoes of two of their signature athletes, Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade. And I know that to be factual because one, and how they treat those guys, because one big thing when Steph signed with Under Armour way back in the day was actually how they treated Kent Baysmore. And the sneakers that Kent Baysmore was wearing. And Steph tried the sneakers and he saw how they was treating Bay— That was one key thing that he saw when he was signing with Under Armour. So I know that this was key in him signing with Li-Ning. And I know a lot of people are like, "Yo, why have Steph sign with a Chinese company?" Well, number one, Li-Ning is one of the fastest growing shoe brands in the world. Number two, the opportunity for him to grow Curry brand globally. The market in China, life after basketball for him. Like this deal checks all of those boxes and I'm happy as hell for him. I think this is groundbreaking. Also to sign a $400 million plus sneaker deal, allegedly. Allegedly. At 38 years old is unheard of, which just lets you know the weight that the name Steph Curry carries, which lets you know that the presence that Steph Curry has, who he is, what he is, what he stands for, that they're willing to sign this, a 10-year deal. What's he gonna play, 2 or 3 more years? Yeah. Amazing. Absolutely insane. So shout out to 30. Incredible. Another one. Incredible to see, man. Congratulations, brother. Job well done. Another bag in the bank account, in the books, in something. Goddamn, it's dope. The Magic hired Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney as their new head coach and something To note, number one, Jeff Van Gundy was a finalist. Billy Donovan was a finalist. But something of note that's interesting in brewing in this Magic organization. John Hammond, who I actually have known since I was young kid, high school, because he was assistant general manager with Joe Dumars back in Detroit, drafted Giannis to Milwaukee. Mm-hmm. Jeff Weltman, Magic president of basketball operations, scouted Giannis in Milwaukee. Sean Sweeney worked closely with Giannis in Milwaukee. What's the theme here? I know everybody's gonna say, "Oh, they're going after Giannis." No, I don't think that's the theme here. I think the theme here is— Paulo Banchero. Franz Wagner, but more so Paolo Banchero. I think the theme here is, let's bring Sean in because he knew how to work with Giannis. He knew how to bring the best outta Giannis, help bring the best outta Giannis. He can help bring the best outta Paolo Banchero. Jeff Weltman scouted Giannis. Some similarities with Pablo Banchero. John Hammond drafted Giannis. A lot of similarities, Pablo Banchero. So these guys ultimately laid a foundation for Giannis to ultimately win a championship in Milwaukee. So you look at your roster as the Orlando Magic and you're like, huh, we have a Giannis-like guy in Pablo Banchero that we think can be a Giannis-like guy. Let's surround him with people that knows what it was to, for Giannis to become Giannis. And so that's what I think of this hire. Obviously Sean Sweeney, uh, has done a great job. He's been on great staffs. He was with Dallas, San Antonio, Milwaukee. He's been on great staffs. His name's been coming up quite a few years now in head coach searches. And I think the overall thinking of this is obviously you think he can be a good head coach, but I think the overall thought here is. Yeah. These people in this organization, including the head coach, can help guide and steer this guy named Pablo Banquero to becoming like that guy. And so overall, I like the theory, which makes it a good hire. Now you gotta go do the job. Got young talent looking to take that next step. He just worked with a young team that took that next step. So all the pieces align, which makes it a great hire, but it's only a great hire until it's not. So good luck to Sean Sweeney. I think he can do great with this roster. Good roster. Bang, Pablo, Franz, Wendell, Wendell Carter. Probably need to make some moves. We'll see. But until then, it's a good hire until it's not. Yeah. But I actually think this is gonna be a really good hire for Orlando. Sean Sweeney has just climbed and climbed and climbed, and he's been on some great staffs with great teams that's done well. And I think he'll be a great head coach. So we shall see. But overall, I think a great hire. I wanna thank you all again for tuning in to the Draymond Green Show. We'll be back Friday. Until then, deuces. If you're rocking with the Draymond Green Show, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app app. And while you're there, go ahead and drop a 5-star rating and leave a review. I wanna hear what you think. And it would also mean a ton to me if you share it with a friend that you think would enjoy it. Let's keep this thing growing. The Draymond Green Show is presented by Audacy and executive produced in conjunction with The New Media. Our executive producers are Leah Reese Dennis, Danny Friesinger, and Greg Holtzman. Video production and creative design by Kurt Courtney, Tim Meekle, Lauren Vieira, and Evan O'Brien. Special thanks to the team at The New Media and the team at Odyssey. Maura Curran, Josephina Francis, Hillary Shuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Rose, Colin Gaynor, and Jake Gally.
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