In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green interviews former NBA guard Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope (KCP) about his experiences playing alongside two of the league’s most dominant playmakers—LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers and Nikola Jokić with the Denver Nuggets. KCP explains that both stars command constant defensive attention, creating open‑shot opportunities for teammates, and praises their basketball IQ and willingness to pass to open shooters. He reflects on how playing with them elevated his own career, describing them as "brothers" who made him a better scorer. The conversation shifts to the Nuggets’ 2022‑23 season, detailing Jamal Murray’s injury, his return, and the team’s confidence entering the 2023‑24 campaign as a championship contender. KCP recounts his role as a vocal leader, emphasizing defensive identity, team chemistry, and the importance of learning from the 2023 title run. The discussion briefly touches on his brief Washington stint (which they skip), the early‑season standings, and the subsequent 2023‑24 challenges, including roster losses (Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, Draymond Green) and a disappointing playoff exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves. KCP maintains optimism about the young talent (Peyton Watson, Christian Braun) stepping up. The episode ends with a light‑hearted ad read for DraftKings. Throughout, the tone is conversational and reflective, with KCP expressing admiration and confidence in his former teammates and the Nuggets organization.
Chapters
Welcome to the brand new Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our content. You eventually end up moving on to the Denver Nuggets. What was that experience like going from playing with Bron, who I always tell people, people don't understand how hard it is to get a good shot every time down the floor. Yeah. And when Bron, there are a few players, only a few though, there's not many. Bron obviously being one of 'em, Joker obviously being one of 'em, where you come down the court and every time they have, they are capable of getting the team a good shot. What was it like going from then playing with Bron who's able to do that, but then going to play with Joker who kind of does it in a different way?
Right, I never, I was about to say like, it was just Bron, you see Bron on the ball mostly, you know what I'm saying? Bringing the ball up, even though Yoke can do the same thing, you know, point five. But like once you get that, like them two guys, man, they demand attention, you know what I'm saying? As soon as they check the ball in. Absolutely.
You know what I'm saying?
So like, and I just fed off that, you know what I'm saying? Like I knew them guys was gonna have so much attention on them. You know, and I was gonna either get a wide open shot or we create a wide open shot. You know what I'm saying? Now the defense gotta move 'cause somebody's open, you know, they either doubling them two guys, you know what I'm saying? And what made it so much easier, and that's why I say they, I don't see a difference between them two. You know what I'm saying? Their IQ is fucking out this world. They can play, joking, they can shoot both of them play. They got the all around game. You know what I'm saying? But I would say just for them, like, for me, what made my career great playing with them, like, they were willing to pass the ball when you open. Like, I don't care what type of pass it was. If you open, they gonna try to get it to you. You know what I'm saying? And all I had to do was be ready to shoot. You know what I'm saying? So in that, like, kudos to both of them guys, man. You know, like, they have made my career better. You know, uh— Yeah. Like later in my years. So like, man, they're my brothers, man.
No doubt.
My brothers.
No doubt. And then being in Denver, 2022 season don't end the way you want it to end. Jamal Murray's out. Then you come back 2023 with Jamal Murray. Were y'all in the space going into 2023 or at what point in that season was it like going in where we got Jamal back, we think we're a championship team? Or was it at some point during that season like, oh, we can do this?
No, I mean, I felt like they already knew they was a championship team. You know, like the previous years before it happened to me, they made the playoffs, you know, every year almost. I feel like they always tell me, they say it was missing just the one piece. And like when I got traded there and I felt the same thing, I was like, man, I felt this in training camp. Like, well, I'm walking around guys, man, like, man, look, we can just stay focused, man. Like we got a chance, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
And it's just me. Before I even got there, me watching from the outside, you know what I'm saying? How the team chemistry was, I was like, yeah, like me plugging into that spot, man, was like the best fit, you know? Like, so I told him like, start of training camp, man, like, man, we gonna win this champ— like, we gonna win a championship. Like, if we can just, you know, stay together, you know, you know, and continue to like sacrifice and play for each other, man, like this, it's gonna be— Yeah. Like it's gonna be a cakewalk, you know what I'm saying? Like, and them, like me, like being that vocal leader, talking about that, like being the only one at the time, you know, having that championship, I feel like them guys, they listen, they gravitated towards you, like toward me, you know what I'm saying? Like, and when I spoke, I didn't even speak about offense. Like, we had top 5, you know, offense, you know, that year. And for me, it was just about their defense. Like, first thing I walked up to Coach Malone and asked him, like, you know what I'm saying, what was our defense last year? Like, they was like 20, you know what I'm saying? Won the championship, we was number 1 in the West, and we was top 5 defense, you know what I'm saying? So like, though, top 10. So switching that, you know what I'm saying, up, like, it changed a lot, man. Just being, like I said, going back earlier, you know what I'm saying? Like learning from them guys, man, being that leader. I think it was important for them, like at the time for the Nuggets, you know what I'm saying? To hear that, you know what I'm saying? To be able to have a guy that's won a championship, you know what I'm saying? That's been through that type of pressure, you know what I'm saying? And taking my knowledge that I know from that championship, you know what I'm saying? Even though they say it was the bubble, But like, I learned a lot, you know, as far as like how to get there, you know, what it takes, you know, and just bringing that to Denver, you know, them guys gravitated towards me and like, they stuck with it.
Absolutely. Also, I intentionally skipped over Washington, by the way, just so you know.
It's all good. No need to discuss. There's not much to say there, man. You know? 'Cause at one point we started off 10 and 4.
You know, we was number 1 at one point, you know, at the time. It's always interesting starting the season and seeing the bum teams at number 1 and number 2 in the conference. And you know they gonna finish at 14.
We definitely dropped down for sure quick.
It's always interesting. But nonetheless, like I said, you know what? We gonna act like that never happened. Because Detroit is where it started.
You gotta have a little couple speed bumps in there and everything.
The Lakers championship. Then there's like a blob of time that go and then the Nuggets.
You know how a road trip, you see a nice little area, you wanna take a detour. You know what I'm saying?
Absolutely.
It was just like a little stop.
By the way, I love DC.
Me too.
Oh, DC is amazing. I absolutely love DC. But yeah, we not gonna even talk about your time.
Yeah, DC was like, it was a great city for me. My kids, family loved it. You know, even though it was a year, we enjoyed it. We met like some great people there. You know, even though we still friends with them now. Like, so like, it's a great city.
Last year y'all ended up losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not able to defend the title and go back to back. Throughout that season, did you know y'all didn't quite have the championship team like y'all had the year before? Losing Bruce Brown, losing Jeff, Draymond Green. I think those were some huge losses.
Yeah.
So in going through that season, did you feel like y'all didn't quite have a championship team?
No, I thought we still had it. You know what I'm saying? 'Cause you know what I'm saying? The people we had behind Bruce and Jeff, Peyton Watson, Christian Brown, them guys into championship run, you know what I'm saying? Them guys showed promise, you know what I'm saying? That they'll be able to, to pick that slack up, you know, like, and we also have faith in them guys as well, you know, that they was gonna do the same, you know, but you know, it's all about opportunity, you know, if they get the opportunity, you know, do what you do best, you know what I'm saying? I felt like during that season, you know, to run it back to back, you know, we all had the same mindset, like that's what we wanted to do, you know, we had a few bumps in the road, like, you know what I'm saying, where we slipped up, you know what I'm saying, but—
Yeah.
It was a 3-way tie for first. Yeah. You know, like I feel like that's where we spent most of, you know, you know how like towards the playoff guys get their rest. But I feel like that's what we spent most of, you know, our energy and like time, you know what I'm saying? Trying to get that first place, you know what I'm saying?
Playing catch up.
And playing catch up. And then like we get to the playoffs, shh, we, have no gas, you know. We felt like the Lakers should have beat us. Like, we was down every—
They should have.
Every game.
They definitely should have.
At least like, at least 10 to like, I mean, the highest maybe about what, 20-something? Like, then just taking that energy, you know, using it there. So it was a lot that went into that season, you know, that we wish we could have, you know. —did better.
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