In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, Draymond Green and a guest (Speaker B) recount the Golden State Warriors' 2022 postseason journey, starting from a low‑expectation mindset—illustrated by a pre‑playoff F1 anecdote where Green joked the team would "fing suck"—to a remarkable improvement that carried them through the first round, conference finals, and ultimately the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Green emphasizes the role of veteran experience and basketball IQ, contrasting the Warriors' seasoned players with the younger, more athletic Celtics. The conversation shifts to the physical and mental toll of a two‑month playoff grind, highlighting the importance of recovery tools; Green promotes Hyperice’s NormaTec Elite compression boots, detailing their features and personal benefits. The dialogue also touches on the emotional aftermath of losing the Finals, the abrupt slowdown after the season, and the challenges of preparing for the next year. Interspersed are sponsor reads for Hyperice and DraftKings, with Colin Cowherd delivering a brief betting promotion. The overall tone is candid, reflective, and promotional, offering insider perspectives on team dynamics, player endurance, and post‑season recovery.
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And the unique thing that I thought, and you've probably been through this, maybe not, but I just couldn't believe how much better we got from playoff game number 1, you know, and against Orlando in the first round to 2 months later by the time, you know, we saw you guys. I just can't believe we just kept improving, improving, improving. That's also really special and really fun to be a part of.
Absolutely. You know, obviously our teams before were a little different, maybe 2015, but we kind of got good early in that year. But 2022, I know exactly what you're talking about because that year, I kid you not, I'll be honest. So 2022 is the first year of Miami Grand Prix, F1, Formula One. And my friend and his family, they own the race. And so they had laid it out for all my friends was going. And I think it was maybe May 5th, which obviously as you know, is like right at the end of the first round of the playoffs.
Yeah.
And he's like, are you coming to F1? Are you coming to F1? I'm like, yeah, we fucking suck. Like, I'll be there. We'll lose in the first round for sure. Like, that's what I thought of like the team we had. Yeah. And I'm like, "Yeah, we'll lose in the first round. I'll 100, like, leave me locked in, I'll be there." And we start to, we play the first game of the playoffs and I called him after the game and I was, he was, actually he had text me and he's like, "You're full of shit. Like, you guys look great." And I'm like, "Yeah, we actually just look better than I thought we did, but like, hold off, I'll still be there for F1." Yeah. And we start playing and we going through and we got better, better, better, and better. Then we get to Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals. And it's like, we didn't even feel like they had a chance. Like, oh, this is money. And then we get to the finals. And like you guys, everybody thought we'd lose to the Celtics. We weren't big enough. The Celtics were way too big. They were younger, they were more athletic. They were all of these things. However, and where you guys were different, they had guys that knew how. Like they had, I mean, they didn't have guys that knew how. And we had guys that knew how. Where you guys differed in 2019 is Kawhi knew how.
Yep.
Danny Green knew how, right? Like when you have those guys that know how, like do you feel that as a coach, like it makes a big difference? I felt like that was the edge for us. In that finals against the Celtics in the year where we got better and better and better. Like you just explained. As a 12-year NBA veteran, recovery is very important to me. As I continue to get a little older, the body just doesn't bounce back the way it used to. So I'm a big fan of Hyperice, especially their NormaTec boots. What's great about the new NormaTec Elite is that they ditched all the extra hoses and control units from the old model. This one is fully self-contained with a small set of buttons to select your compression level. Super easy to travel with and to get set up up after a hard workout or a big game. On top of that, the NormaTec Elite packs 4 hours of battery life. That's enough juice to get full leg compression cycles in before games, after games, and even on the plane. And don't get me started on the tech inside this thing. Hyperice has been pioneering recovery science for years, and the brand new NormaTec Elite takes it to another dimension with 7 different compression levels to choose from. But it's not just for pro athletes. Everyone can get their hands on these to help with recovery, increases circulation, and reduces swelling in the lower body. Shop all your warm-up and recovery needs at Hyperice.com. Use code Draymond for 15% off your order today. Exclusions apply.
100%. I think a big part of that, Draymond, I don't think guys that haven't gone through it have any understanding, A, absolutely how long it is.
Yes.
2 full months.
Yeah.
And it is like, and then I don't think they understand a lot of the intensity of it. Like, man, when we were playing you guys, I can't tell you how many times I'd be like, "Goddamn, these guys are fucking fast." Damn it, they just fucking keep on running, you know? And they don't ever get tired. And I kept telling my team, "They're fast, but you run, you be fast too. You keep running fast too," right? So again, just the, you can't get tired, man. You can't succumb to the 2-month grind or the, or how physical it is or the pressure of it all. Like you just gotta keep staying locked in and keep, man, it's, that's the thing. I think the guys that have been through it can impart on everybody else and help them get through some of that.
100%. It's crazy because I was in a meeting yesterday and I was talking to someone and he was just speaking about like, man, get to the NBA Finals and if you lose, like those guys just look so crushed. And I was telling him, I said, you know, you get into the NBA Finals and lose, and I've done twice, it's actually the worst thing in the world because you play 2 extra months of basketball and you have absolutely nothing to show for it. You're expected to, like, you have the same summer that the champions have, but they get to party and get a pass and get a little longer to get in shape because you know they're coming off championship. Whereas if you lose in the Finals, No one remembers. Everybody like, "Oh, you should come into the next season in tip-top shape." All these things. Like it's a totally different mindset. But what I was telling him is, I said, "As much as you are, as much as you are like disappointed and hurt that you lost, what really happens is you go through the NBA Finals to your point. And by the time you get to the end of it, your mind doesn't allow you to process." Yeah. How tired you are. Your mind doesn't allow you to process the exhaustion. But the moment it ends, it's just like everything's just wiped out of you. Like, it is a grind like no other. And to your point, I don't think anyone really understands that.
Yeah. The biggest difference is this though, right? Like, when you in it, your phone rings a lot. When you don't, the phone stops ringing. Like, the whole pace of everything comes to a screeching halt, right? That's what I always find interesting after a season that you don't win it is things get quiet really quick, right? But yeah, I think it's, and you're like, I couldn't believe it was over. And I swear to God, I just got home and I was back in this for surely, you know, like, man, that was like 2 weeks, you know, 3 weeks later, you're back and getting ready for next season, you know, as a coach.
Absolutely.
And I know you're just trying to recover, recover like crazy if you're a player, right? Get your body right. Just, just try to heal up, right?
Absolutely.
Because you come out of those things beat up. It's crazy.
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