In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green sits down with former NBA guard Jeff Teague to dissect the Milwaukee Bucks' 2021 championship run. The conversation opens with a mutual respect for the difficulty of winning a title, emphasizing the blend of skill, luck, and chemistry required. Teague recounts his 2020‑21 season trajectory: starting with the Boston Celtics, navigating trade rumors, a brief stint with the Magic, and ultimately joining the Bucks after Coach Bud (Mike Budenholzer) reached out. He describes the challenges of injuries—both his own knee micro‑fracture surgery and Kemba Walker’s absence— and how they disrupted team cohesion. Teague highlights the pivotal moments that shifted the series: Kyrie Irving’s ankle injury, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elevated play, and the return of Giannis’s brother, Thanasis (T.A.), after a COVID bout, which reinvigorated the locker‑room energy. Throughout, Teague reflects on his role as a veteran bench player, the importance of humor (citing Matt Barnes) to keep the team loose, and the mental shift from player to “coach mode” when sidelined. The dialogue blends candid anecdotes, personal insights, and a celebration of the collective effort that led to the Bucks’ first championship in 50 years.
Chapters
Welcome to the brand new Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our content. Before we get outta here, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the championship.
Ah man, you don't gotta talk about that.
Nah, I got some things that I wanna know as well. But, and also as an NBA champion, I must talk about that because I, there's a certain level of respect that comes from me for champions. I feel that. Because that shit is hard to do.
It is.
And it is hard whether you are the first option or whether you are the 15th man.
For sure.
It is extremely hard for that shit to come together and to win a championship.
A lot of luck.
And a lot of luck.
A lot of luck.
And people don't take that into account. I have a huge appreciation 4 people that win a championship and a huge respect because also you also create your luck too.
You know what I'm saying?
Facts. And so you go to Milwaukee, reunited with Coach Bud.
Yep.
What was it like with that team? Did you guys like believe initially like, yo, we got a championship team. It kind of had to come together. What was it like? Than going to play Coach Bud, Giannis, Chris, Drew, and ultimately winning a championship with the Bucks?
So I started that year off with Boston and that's when I met JT, Jason Tatum. That's my guy, that's one of my good friends. Him, JB, and all them guys. And I thought that was like a championship team. I'm like, I'm going to Boston. And I started off the season playing pretty good there. And I'm like, yeah, this is a team I think we can win. Kemba was out though. So Kemba was hurt for a little bit. And when Kemba came back, No, the chemistry was trying to get everybody going. We just couldn't figure it out. And they was like, "All right, we about to make a trade." And they was like, "You could stay, but we don't think you gonna play as much as you're playing." I was like, "Ah, well, shit, I'mma leave." And they was like, "You can go wherever you wanna go. We'll put you on. We gonna trade you." And John Hammond, good guy, a guy I know for a long time, he was like, "We gonna trade, they gonna trade, we gonna trade you to the Magic." He was like, "I'll waive you unless you wanna be here." He was like, "You can sign back here." "As a vet, you're not gonna play though." And I was like, "Nah, I wanna play." He was like, "I'll waive you so you can go wherever." And Coach Bud called me immediately like, "Come here, you gonna play." Which I ain't play that much. Coach Bud lied to me, but it's all good. And then Ty Lue called me and was like, "Come to the Clippers, bro. We play everybody. Like we didn't brought Reggie Jackson back to life. We bring people back to life. Like if you wanna play, come play here." Coach Bud called me again like, "We gonna win the championship." I'm gonna rock with Bud, man. I know Bud. Go there, good year. We, you can tell we had something, but I didn't know if we had championship. I never been on a championship team. So I don't know what that feel like. I just know we were a good team. We ended up playing, I just, when I hurt my knee. So I have hurt my knee. I get an MRI. They tell me I need microfracture surgery. I'm like, oh snap, it's over with. So now I'm in like—
You're about to cry.
Yeah, I'm like, all right. I'm in coach mode now. So now I'm going to Coach Bud's office talking, you know, PJ Tucker, my dog. So he complaining about every play. Like, "I don't get the ball." I'm like, "Man, y'all is on your team, bro. You not getting the ball, bro.
Go to the corner." Also, what you gonna do with it, Tuck?
Dribble handoff. Listen, go to the corner, Tuck. You my dog, bro. But look, go to the corner. So me and him was joking every day. And Coach Bud was like, "I think we gonna win the championship." He kept saying that to me. We start playing KD, Kyrie, I mean KD, James Harden, Kyrie. The first game we get beat by like 40. I go to his office like, "Coach, I don't think we about to win this championship." And he like, he felt like he was about to get fired. I'll never forget that. He like, he being real with me, he kind of like felt like it was like over. Like, you know, his run was over in Milwaukee. And he like, I'm lowkey, I'm like, I think the Pacers gonna hire you. Like, they been calling, I'm trying to like, I'm setting myself because I know I live in Indiana. So I'm like, if the Pacers hire you, like, you gonna sign me? Like, I wanna be a coach. And he like, what, what? Ah, I'm not even thinking about that right now. But I knew he was. Then we got beat by 50. Then the second game we get blasted by like 55. Like, it's crazy. Like, it's not even close. We like, we don't stand a chance. Kyrie rolls his ankle. Third game. And you could see like the light switch it like, oh, we can beat 'em now. And Giannis stepped up, Chris, Drew, they all started just playing phenomenal. And now we knew we get past them, we was winning the championship. And we got past them, we ended up winning. KD had his toe on the line.
Yeah.
We ended up getting there. After that, I knew we was winning the championship. Like the Hawks, I came back, they let me play. I started rehabbing my knee. They was like, we gonna let you play against the Hawks. I had a little moment, I hit some threes. I'm talking crazy to the Hawks. They booing me. I'm like, damn, I'm getting booed in Atlanta. I ain't never thought that'd happen, but it was a cool run. So I know what you say, I feel like, you know, the championship run was special, but I guess just for me, I always like imagine like, damn, I was in the game and I threw a pass to the corner or something good happened while I was in there. And it just didn't happen in the championship series, but it definitely take a team effort though.
Nah, it does for sure. I had this conversation with Matt Barnes before. Because what I'm picking up from you, you kind of feel like him.
Yeah.
Which is as a true hooper like Matt is, as a real one like Matt is, you like, yeah, but I ain't really give to it what I know I would've liked to give to it. And that's irrelevant.
Yeah, I hear you.
That's irrelevant.
It's different for you, bro. You've been like in that moment, you've been a guy, like you one of them guys. So like championships were won and lost off stuff you did. You know what I'm saying? Like I was going to the game in the finals, bro. I didn't have insoles in, bro. Like I knew I wasn't getting in the game, bro. Like I was had on the, I'm wearing the freshest Kobe's. These are going back home. Like it's not, I know I'm not getting in. And like, that's a different feeling than like, you know, like I'm looking at the scouting report. I'm in coach's mode, really. "I'm looking at the scouting report, I'm helping Drew." But Drew, you don't really need my help. You know the scouting report as good as me. Like, I ain't doing nothing. I'm just making y'all laugh, bro, on the plane at this point.
Which matters.
It did.
And it matters because it gets so thick and like uptight that if somebody is making us laugh, the benefit that they have on the team keeps us loose.
It matters. Matter of fact, you right. 'Cause T.A. Sure. Giannis' brother.
Mm-hmm.
When we went down 0-2, he had COVID, so he couldn't come to the plane. That's why we went down 0-2. Giannis was messed up. Like him and his brother, bro, they got some different kind of connection. He can't function or play if he don't see his brother. I'm being for real. It's not even for real. It's different, bro. He was like, where's T.A. at? Where T.A. at? We in the middle of the game. I'm like, bro, we in the finals, bro. Play. Like where T.A.? Where T.A.? So T.A. make this magical like COVID recovery. I know he still had it. No way, bro. It's 14 days, bro. He's back in 3. He's back. Then when he see him, tunnel vision back on him, they started hooping. But his energy was like contagious. Like he running in the locker room, COVID, everything he got, yelling, screaming. And I'm like, yeah, he matters. Like he makes a difference for our team. When he's not here, something's not clicking. But when T.A. was there, he made it, like he mattered. And then somehow he's in the locker room, he does all that. When the parade come, he has to ride by himself 'cause he got COVID. I'm like, bro, we all sick, bro, at this point.
Who cares?
Yeah, I was like, bro, there's no way y'all got him riding by himself now. And he just was in the locker room, bro, get outta here.
Yeah, that's wild.
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