Draymond Green's HONEST reaction to coming off Golden State Warriors bench for Jonathan Kuminga

Now that Draymond is coming off the bench, do you have any advice for him?

Hey, keep them legs warm, man. They go on that bike. Get on that Aerodyne bike or that Kaiser bike, man.

Nah, but serious, you know, having that role and then, you know, Dray and I, we talk about it, you know, I, I think it's You know, Draymond Green, you know, type of player can do anything similar. And Norm, you showing it coming from the sixth man to starting. But you know, just the importance of like, and both of y'all talk about it, right? 'Cause like Norm, here you are, you know, sixth man, Sixth Man of the Year. Now you are in new terrain. Dray, Hall of Fame career, Hall of Famer. Defensive Player of the Year candidate, you know what I mean? Injuries, you know, getting older. Now looking at the young dude, mentoring, coming off the bench and being more explosive. Just talk about the role and how important it is, you know, to have that conversation, one with yourself, but also like, you know, what is— like, how do you reinvent yourself?

Yeah.

You know what I mean? And stay hungry.

Me to go first or you, Draymond Green?

Norm, you go ahead. Yeah, you go ahead.

I think the biggest thing is one, to make it in the NBA. You know what I'm saying? Like I always tell the young kids, like everybody is not gonna be the number one option. Everybody's not gonna be the franchise player. So how do you stick? You know, how do you find success in the league and still work your way, you know, into the player that you believe in yourself or see yourself as being, you know. And it's all about, about finding that role that the team needs and maximizing that. Because once you maximize that role, you're gonna get more opportunity to showcase your game, right? But a lot of kids today, you know, they do it backwards. You know, they think they should be the franchise player and get all this, that, and the other, and they're trying to figure out why they don't have success, you know. And it's like, okay, if the coach is asking me, to be this, pick up 94 feet and be this scrappy defender guy, then like, and that's what I gotta do to get on the court, like I'm gonna do that, you know? But the mentality isn't, no, like I wanna score, I wanna do all these things. Like people don't want to get down and dirty, but it's really important in the league to find that niche. Like I wasn't a scoring guy when I first came in the league. It was, man, I was picking up Kyrie, prime John Wall, like prime Russ, like—

Yeah.

Like 94 feet, like they was putting me on, Porzingis, Melo. Like, I'm 6'3", you know what I mean? I'm guarding Porzingis in the post, you know what I mean? Like, but, but that's what got me on the floor, you know? And like, as I'm doing that, it's like, okay, like, I'm an opportunity scorer. I'm a defender, energy guy, opportunity scorer. Okay, so now I'm gonna take this defense and I'm gonna create my opportunities for myself. So now it's like, oh dang, Norm, oh, he can shoot. Oh, he can get to the basket. Oh, he can put up 10, 15 points. You know what I mean? So it was all about, this is my role, and I'm going to execute this role, but I'm also going to continue to strive for more. You know what I'm saying? And show that I can and will do more for the team. And that's how I've been able to find my success. But it was all about taking a step back and having that honest conversation with yourself. Like, what are you going to do, and how are you going to get to where you want to be? And a lot of people aren't really ready to have those conversations, right? Yeah. To take that step back and be like, my path to where I envision myself long term might not be the exact path that I have set out for myself, but it's going to be a path that I'm willing to take, you know, to achieve that. And it might be a longer road, you know, but I'm ready to endure that journey and that grind to get to where I'm at. But for me, it was everything about filling that role and finding out how I was going to be successful in this league. And I had the honest conversation with myself. Yeah. And I was ready for that grind.

I think I had a very similar coming in as well with me, whether it was to go in and guard Andre Miller, who was taking the last shot for Denver, or obviously, you know, going in to stop Kobe if, you know, we playing against the Lakers on the last second shot. Like sometimes that was my only way onto the floor. Guard Lamar Gasol, guard Blake, guard Z-Bo, guard Marc Gasol. Like an older Tim Duncan. Like that was my way. Pau Gasol. Like that was my way onto the court. And so then you start to do that and like you said, you add more and you add more and you show more. But I always tell young people, and people in general, when you add more, you can never not do what you started off doing. So you can never just become a scorer and not check at all. And you came in the league checking, like nobody gonna respect you no more. They gonna just be like, oh, but he lost it because he can't guard no more. You see what I'm saying? Mm-hmm. It ain't gonna be like, oh, 'Nah, he's scoring like at this.' And so that's why he— no, they gonna be like, 'Yo, he's slowing down because not— look, he can't even stay in front of that guy. And remember when he used to do this,' right? So you can never not do what you came in doing. And so for me, then I had to grow from there. At this point in my career, I'm 13 in.

Mm-hmm.

The chase for greatness is still there, right? Like, mm-hmm. Or I wouldn't do it. The capability is still there. I've continued to show that, but the attitude that was is not. Coming up young in this league, to a certain extent, you gotta be about me. Like, just to make it. Like, y'all both know, to a certain extent, you have to have some of that, it's about me and you, in order to do it.

Mm-hmm.

And so you go through and you learn and you experience. And with everything I've experienced, at a certain point, you gotta know when to let go. Of it just being about, like, and not just about me, 'cause I've always been a team guy, but you gotta know when to let go of the me. And me at this point in my career, I am very well accomplished and I still got a lot left in the tank, but—

A lot.

It's also, I also know this business like the back of my hand. And so Jonathan Kaminga's in year 3, which means he's extension eligible this summer. Excuse me, he's in year 4. And you know, he can be, he'll be a restricted free agent this summer. Mm-hmm. And so you look at it from the business side, he has to get the opportunity to show his worth. —like, just so you know, as an organization, like, he has to get that opportunity. And he's earned the opportunity. He's more than earned the opportunity. So you take those two things into account. I know the business. Stand down, bro. Like—

Mm-hmm.

Stand down. Check this out. I'm also a fan of Jonathan Kamiga, and I am Jonathan Kamiga's vet. I want to see Jonathan Kamiga do well.

Yeah.

So me and your 13 that this isn't gonna happen, but could decide tomorrow I don't want to play anymore, why would you stand in the way of his opportunity?

No, that's real.

Like, I'm, I'm not gonna sit and like, oh, this is because at the end of the day, I'm gonna finish game. I'm gonna close games. I'm gonna be in when it, when it matters. Not that he's not gonna be in, but I'm gonna be in when it matters and I'm gonna do what I do. So whether I start or not, I, I've started so many games in the NBA, my ego isn't in it. And as a matter of fact, I'm all for it.

Mm-hmm.

Cuz I wanna see young fellas get on. Mm-hmm. And guess what? I know starting to him means something. You know why I know starting to him means something? Because when I was in year 4, starting to me meant something.

Mm-hmm.

And so you— David Lee took the backseat for me. And not that he took the backseat like he could have said, "Oh, no." He still supported me. He still taught me. When I was coming up against certain matchups, "Hey, this guy," 'cause he's seen 'em so much. Like, it was never, yo, I can't do this, or it was never that. And so, like I said, being a product of that, Pete Myers would always tell me, you owe it to the game to get a young fella's back. You owe it to the game to leave it in a better place than it was when you found it. Mm-hmm. You gotta give back to the young fellas. You gotta pour into them. I'm at the point in my career now where I am 1000% a starter in the NBA. I know that, not tripping on that at all. But if this is gonna help Jonathan Kaminga and this is gonna help this team, then let's check it out.

Mm-hmm.

And if it, if it don't pan out, we always know we can go back to me starting at the 4 on 5. Mm-hmm. Like, yeah, we can always go back to that. But let's see what he got. He deserve that. And I've never respected guys who's like, if it comes down to that, and it's like, I don't know, I wouldn't say respect, but I've just always been like, if it's me in the position and it comes down to yo, now maybe 2 years ago, I wouldn't feel like this. Like, but I mean, you're 13. Like, so. Yeah. If it comes down to you and this kid getting the opportunity to change his life, to change his family life, move on. Mm-hmm. Like, give it back to the game. And like I said, then you add in the personal relationship that I have with Jonathan Kuminga. I can't look him in his eye, tell him all the love I got for him, and be the person standing in the way of his opportunity. I can't do that. That don't work for me.

It's crazy that you say that because I was in a similar situation as Kaminga in Toronto. You know what I mean? Like, with opportunity, like I worked my way, like I was grinding down to the D-League at the time, back up. And they were trying to figure out what they wanted to do for the starting role with DeMar Carroll. He had a messed up knee, so he wasn't playing back-to-backs, you know? And I had Terrence Ross and James Johnson and Patrick Patterson in front of me, you know? And then I was a second-round pick. I had Delon Wright, you know, he was the 20th pick, you know, like, their first round and the team went with me, you know? And mind you, at the time, like, James Johnson was my vet and, you know, all the stuff that was going around the league about him, like, all that years ago, you know? So, you know, I felt some type of way. I was like, damn, he's my vet. Like, you know, he's showing me love. Like, he's taking me around, taking me under his wing, gave me so much advice, you know? And, you know, I got wind that, you know, whatever was going on, I don't know if it was true or not, but I went to him like, you know, like, I didn't want him to be mad at me, you know what I'm saying, for the opportunity, you know, they were starting me. And the one thing he told me was like, bro, I'll never be mad at you, you know what I'm saying, for getting your opportunity. You know what I'm saying? I want to see you do great. You know, there's enough out of here for all of us. You know what I'm saying? I want you to be successful. So like, don't trip. I'm rooting you on every step of the way. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to be in your ear, you know, making sure that, you know, you stay focused and locked in. And he always got me ready, you know what I'm saying? After practice.

Yeah.

He was playing one-on-one, you know, talking shit to me, you know, like getting that fire, that dog, making sure I was, you know, picking up and pressuring and not backing down. But like similar situation, you know what I'm saying? He a vet in the league. Like he should be, you know, getting his opportunity as well. But you know, they wanted to go with somebody younger and see what he had and see what I had and what I was working with and how I could help the team, you know? And then he was a full supporter of that, you know, and really like helped me along the way, along with Draymond Green and those other guys. But you know, I had that conversation with him, you know, and he removed himself, you know, like, yo, like this is about you. It's not about— Yeah. Me, you know what I'm saying? I want to see you be successful. And like, and you need that, you know, because then now, you know, from that experience with him and DeMar, I'm talking to those guys. Now I'm the one, you know, passing down game and knowledge and giving the young guy some, some strategies on how to navigate being a professional and waiting for their opportunity and being ready for it and stepping into that role. You know, I got Jordan Miller as my youth, as my— Yeah. As my rookie. And, you know, now he's getting the opportunity to play. You know, he had to go through the G League grind. You know, he was an older guy coming outta college, you know, and now I'm telling him in the game, like, bro, take this shot, take this 3, you know what I'm saying? Attack down here, right here. You know, be aggressive, you know, cuz, cuz that's what we need. I'd rather you make mistakes being aggressive than being passive and worried about, you know, making a mistake or if coach is gonna pull you out. You know, so like to your point, DG, you know, just about leaving the game in a better place and passing down that knowledge and removing removing the me, you know what I'm saying? The personal of, I gotta get this. Like, this is about me. Like, how do I prove that? You know what I'm saying? I feel like I don't have all the accomplishments and things like that, but like, I've become a household name where people know what I can do every single night. This is what Norm's gonna bring to the table. So if it's not my night and my young fella got it going, man, I'mma feed. Yeah. Carry the team tonight, boy. Like, I ain't backing out. Like, I want them to be successful 'cause I know You know, when I was in that role, I had somebody else passing that knowledge and that confidence down to me. You know, so that's the biggest thing, you know, in terms of, you know, passing the knowledge down and leaving the game in a better place and removing that me, you know what I'm saying? Like the same situation that you talking about, I experienced it now having to be that vet and do the same thing.

Oh, 1,000%. I think that's dope. I've heard several guys now that's come from under James Johnson wing talk about him as they vet. And how he took them under their wing, that's dope. Mm-hmm.