Ty Lue & Draymond Green swap untold stories from Cavs 3-1 comeback vs. Warriors in 2016 NBA Finals

Let's get into this Cavs-Warriors situation. And is this the first time y'all ever talked about this?

Yeah. That's crazy.

Come on. Sorry, Dray.

Come on.

You know that was coming.

Listen, the amount of—

That was a fastball.

The amount of times I see T-Lou, like I see T-Lou at private events. We are part of the same family, like, and Like we've never spoke about this. And the fact that we starting this podcast and that's what you wanna talk about.

Man, I'm on one today, brother.

Y'all could've took Draymond Green out of the show today. This just could've been the Baron Davis show today. If that's what you wanted to start this show off talking about it. But since you wanna talk about it, let's talk about it then. I got something to say too.

Let's talk about it. T-Lou, were you worried the first 2 games, especially the last time y'all saw the Warriors in the finals, they won the last 3 games. And then Draymond, you can talk about, you know, in the finals how y'all felt the first 2 games. But you know, Coach, walk us through this series, you know, what was the mentality? And feel free, Coach, you can say whatever you want. You know what I mean?

On this show. I mean, you know, no, like, well, for me it was like, you know, you go through the, you know, you go through the Eastern Conference, you know, and you know, it's a different style of basketball until you actually play the Golden State Warriors and see the speed and the pace that they play with. You can't duplicate it. You know, we had a lot of time to prepare, but you can't, you can't prepare for the speed, can't prepare for the shot making and how hard they run their stuff, you know? And so, When we got to Golden State for those first two games, man, we couldn't keep, like, we was just like, they was just playing so fast and so fast. And what happens is a lot of people get, you know, they go crazy about the threes that Klay and Steph, whatever's gonna make, but you lose sight of shit. They got 60 points in the paint.

You know what I mean?

Because you wanted to stop them, you trying to do, and now you got Draymond Green, you know, one of the best passers in the league. You, soon as you go outta help Steph, they slip, they getting dunks, they getting layups. And so you kind of lose sight of everything else because you're so worried about Klay and Steph, you know, coming off screens. And so those first two games, like, it was hard to make adjustments because shit, it was a blowout. We was getting beat by 25, you know, 24. So like, how do you really adjust? But, you know, I think, um, the adjustment we made was, it was really good for us because, you know, when you play them, you think about, we wanna switch everything, you know, we want to, and they just picked you apart.

Yeah.

Like any mistake, gonna pick you apart. So, you know, look at the film over and over and over again. When Game 3 came, I said, you know what? We're only gonna switch Steph and Klay when they come together in splits. Everybody else, we're gonna just drop back, you chase and follow, and then we'll protect you. Like, if Barbosa pops back, if Iguodala pops back, if Shawn Livingston pops back, we'll live with the results. But you can't like switch everybody. They were just too good.

It's too much chaos.

Yeah. And if you got J.R. Smith chasing Steph full speed and now you gotta stop and try to go back, it was too much. And so like, listen, if Steph and Klay come together, switch. If not, you on your own. You got Steph and you got Klay. And that really helped us out, you know, a lot. And so what people don't understand is like after the first 2 games, I didn't show film. Like, because, you know, 'cause sometimes Bron will be upset and he'd be in the back rolling his eyes. So I said, you know what, I'm gonna stay positive. You know, I'm gonna stay positive. Yeah. Everything we do, we, you know, we shot half-court shots. We just did a lot of different stuff. And then when we won game 3, then that was a game I kind of showed all our mistakes, what we need to clean up, what we need to get better at. Because when you win a game, it's easier to kind of show that stuff. So they came back and won game 4. I didn't show no film. And so I, David Griffin was like, man, what the hell is Ty Lue doing? I'm like, bro, you don't understand. Like, she just, just relax. Like, I got, you know? And so, um, but it was, it was, I mean, playing them every single night, man. Like, you know, it's just tough. Like the pace they play at, people don't understand until you actually in it.

Yeah. And then, you know, speaking of, well, Dre, I'll let you talk in a minute, but speaking up on game 4, one of the biggest turning points of the series, you know, and then you find out Draymond wasn't gonna play game 5. Like what was the adjustments like, you know, going from Game 4 to Game 5? 'Cause once y'all tied it up, I like watching the series because I felt like every game after Game 3, it was like somebody went back and made key adjustments to make the game that much stickier, right?

Yeah, I mean, so, you know, they win Game 4, And I thought we played good enough to win, but they win game 4. And then we gotta go back to Golden State for game 5. And then we get the news that Draymond's gonna be out. So for us, that was something for us, like the automatic pick our pressure up. Like, now we gotta pick our pressure up, we gotta deny, we gotta extend because they didn't have like, Eagle Dog could make plays like in transition, but Dray was more of the half court pass. Mm-hmm. So he's basically the point guard. And so when he was out, we knew we had to pick our pressure up to try to take them out of everything they try to, like they try to do. You know? And so it's a funny story when we get to game 7, and I think you probably don't remember Draymond, but you, but if you go back and watch the game, so at the end of the game we were up 3.

Mm-hmm.

And we went over like y'all's, y'all's knee 3 plays. We went over every single day for 3 weeks straight, but one of the games were close. So we did, so me and, Kyrie and Bron, like, man, we doing this shit again. I'm like, man, you never know. It's gonna come down to something. And so for each play, we had different guys guarding different positions. And so, um, when they came out to run a knee 3 play, you know, Draymond Green was taking it out and we jumped into our formation and Draymond Green was kind of looking like, what the, like, what's going on? So we deflected the ball outta bounds. So then they go to their second knee 3 play, they switched it and our players was guarding somebody different and we was able to take it away. Mm-hmm. And then so Bron said, man, it came down to game 7. I said, you never know. Like you gotta work on it every single day because you never know when you gonna need it. And so every day we work on the knee threes, they be like, man, ain't none of the games been close. Why are we doing this? And then game 7, it came down to it. Big for us.

Yeah, man, that was crazy. What up, BD?

Welcome to the party. Come on, Draymond.

I appreciate it.

Speak your piece.

I don't have much to say. We lost. But what I will say is, now it's crazy because in playing in those series, like it prepared us in moving forward to know how to make those adjustments because it was a chess match. Like every time we would play from game to game, they make this move, we make this move. They move they queen, we move our rook. You know, they—

Mm-hmm.

We move our— like that's what those series were. Obviously, uh, when I got suspended for Game 5, it changed everything. But also, you know, their adjustment— it's, it's interesting because their adjustment to pick up the pressure is obviously how they took over and won the game. Because when you get in a lot of series and a key piece like that gets moved, normally your game plan stay the same. Right? Because you like, ah, well you've been playing this team, your game plan stay the same. And then you come out there and you get blasted. Like it happened to us a couple years ago when we won a championship. We played Memphis in game 4, game 5 or something like that. And Ja was hurt. Oh, it was game 5. They beat us by 60 because we didn't, like there was no adjustment. Like you didn't know what team you was about to play. Whereas opposed to you've been preparing for this one team and— Yeah. You know the adjustments that you need to make. It's a different team now. And so that's, that's an interesting adjustment. But no, when Game 5, it changed everything. Like, we're going home and obviously they're gonna make an adjustment. But you know, for us, we're, we going home to close out this series. And, and that's the mindset. Then I get suspended and I'll never forget, I was watching that game next door at the, at the A's game and I had on all black. I had on some black Nike combat boots and I had my route down and everything. I'm like, yeah, we gonna win this game. And I'm taking the long route to the court so I can walk past all of the Cavs when they walk into the locker room with their head down. And I'm in all black and I'm mobbin' in there. And it just didn't work out for us, man. I was sitting in that, I was sitting in that suite watching the game and I didn't realize, I didn't recognize the team I was watching. Like it was—

Who was it?

It just looks like a different team to me. And so then to come back game 6, like we lost game 6 and game 5. Like game, there was 0% chance we were going to Cleveland and win game 6. So we had already lost game 6 and game 5. And then we end up in game 7 and T-Lou game plan is to make me beat them. And—

And—

I had the game of my life and ultimately—

He had 5 threes in the first half.

Man, I was there. I was at that game. I was at that game.

But you know, like something about coaching, you know, Dey Dey, is like when you got the control of your team and they respect you and they trust you, like, you know, you have 5 threes at halftime and then not one player come in crying about like, that's the game plan. Like, you know, like he can make shots, but if we keep Steph and Klay from, you know, making 7, 8 threes and we keeping the ball outta their hands, Like that's what we want to do. And you gotta think for the best team in NBA history record-wise, like we held y'all to 89 points in game 7.

89 points.

You know what I'm saying? So like, and we just, they just, we just stuck with it. Like, and JR, like I said, JR Smith was huge in that third quarter coming out then. But like it just, and you had to, like I said, the best game of your life, you know?

But—

You know what's crazy though, T-Lou, is that game. It was a mixture of that game and then also KD coming. And so the mixture of that game and me like shooting the lights out, scoring at will, having what I scored, 31 or 33 or something like that.

35.

35. And we only had 89 points and I have 35. And so me being the player that I am, which is 70% cerebral, KD coming in, which means I have to kind of take more of a backseat anyway, right? Like, but at the same time, that's coming on the heels of me just having 35 and we lost. And so now my mindset ends up turning to, well, they want me to take this shot because I just had 35 in the, in Game 7 and we lost. So then I stopped shooting, right? Like, because I'm like, oh, they, they, they want me to take the shot. Yeah. In turn, I then spent 2 and a half years with zero confidence in my shot and just DHOing and find creative ways to get Steph and Klay involved. 'Cause I ain't wanna shoot because I lost all confidence. But a part of me losing confidence was that game and not taking the shot.

That's true.

And taking the shots, right? Like, and actually making them. But we ain't win. So I'm like, dang, what? That's the mindset. They want me to shoot, so I'm not gonna shoot because they're game planning to make me shoot. So why would I shoot? And then it led down to this whole path of like, then being like afraid to shoot, like, and losing my confidence in my shot and like hesitating and then having to get over that mental hurdle. It all started for me there, which was crazy because it was your game plan. But then it became a part of my mind of like, that's the game plan. Why would I shoot?

Yeah., but now you about to shoot 40-some percent from 3 again.

And turning to T-Lou, telling him, "Don't let me shoot tonight, goddamn!" Man, this is therapeutic.

Yeah.

Man, this is therapeutic, man. That's a hell of a moment. A full circle moment. That's hella therapeutic, man. I'm glad T-Lou— see, we got that, the hardest part, we got out the way. We talked about it. Now we can go on.

So I have to ask this question. And speaking of that Game 7, you know, I've heard all of the stories and quite honestly I've ignored 'em because that's just a dark moment in my life. But there was some story about you collecting money that you left in the ceiling or something like, let me in on this story. I need to know more. 'Cause next time we play y'all in a meaningful series, I'm going in that locker room tonight Before taking that money.

Oh, right. So, so after we won game 5, so you know, all the owners and you know, the GM, everybody's in the locker room, they celebrating, whatever, everybody's happy. So I go in the locker room and said, everybody give me $200. They was like, what? For what? I was like, I'm gonna take it, wrap it up, I'm gonna put it in the ceiling and we come back and get our money for game 7. And so where I got that from was from, you know, Doc Rivers, we played the Lakers in 2009. We played the Lakers during a regular season. It might have been Christmas and they blew us out. Like they killed us. And so Doc went around the room and collected money from everybody, put the money in the ceiling, said, "We coming back for the NBA Finals and we come back to get our money." And we came back and we played in the Finals. They beat us that year, but we came back and played in the Finals and the money was still up there too in the ceiling. Mm-hmm. And, So I got that from Doc. And so we came back game 7. I'm gonna tell you what's crazier than that. You know how cheap LeBron is.

So— Oh man.

Golly.

So PD, we win a championship, you know, game 7, I go up in the ceiling, the money still, it's like $4,700 or something like that, right? So shit, I pocket it. You know what I'm saying? And so Bron, we, we, they throwing champagne, ain't whatever. So Bron said, hey T-Lou, where's that money at, man? I said, man, I went up there, it's missing. I don't know where it's at. We just won a championship. He's worried about getting $200. His $200.

Draymond Green.

That is hilarious, 'cause that is exactly how he is to every penny.

That's crazy.

He frugal, huh? No, I mean, he generous too. I'm just saying, but like—

He want his money back.

Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

He earned that. He need his cut. I had to pocket it too.

In the middle of popping champagne, you just won a championship. And you ask where the $200 at.

Hey man, don't forget nothing. But I was just about to say, but interestingly enough, it's less about him being frugal and more about like, dude don't miss anything. Like he don't miss nothing.

Nothing, man. And like I said, him and Kyrie, like I said, they was special. That final, they was special. Like I said, game 5, both of those guys having 40 and Just like I said, once we got to game 7, like Bronson said, give me the game 7 and I'll do the rest. You know, and so, but bad, bad man. Yeah.

Speaking of game 7, I mean, everybody talk about the block and then obviously Kyrie's shot, but is there another play that you feel people miss that helps secure that title?

Kevin Love, when he switched out on Steph.

Ooh, he sat down.

Hey dude, he sat down. He sat down. That's one of the ultimate sit-downs in NBA history, dude. That was crazy.

Because it's crazy because it wasn't supposed to happen. So, you know, like, you know what I'm saying? I don't want K-Love on Steph. Yeah.

You don't want that.

You know, something happened, a breakdown, where he ended up on Steph. And I mean, K-Love, I give him credit, man. He sat down. He sat down, he guarded 4 or 5 different moves. Like, you know, forced to step into a tough shot. But that was a big play. I think we might have been up 3 or maybe 4. I'm not, maybe 3. 3. Yeah, 3. Yeah, big stop. And I think that's when Bron got the rebound and got fouled and then put the free throw on. Oh no, no. Got the stop. Kyrie went coast to coast, threw it to Bron and you fouled him. And then he went to the line and made a point. Yeah, but that was K-Love, man, moving them puppies, man.

Yeah, he was. It's crazy because we watched, we seen like, "Oh, this is it. Like, we up 3, y'all up 3, Steph about to tie it. This is it. Like, we got K-Love on the iso, it's over." And he was moving. I think it surprised Steph.

I thought he was gonna lay it up. Yeah, I thought he was gonna lay it up.

It might have surprised him.

Yep.

It probably surprised Steph too, for sure. 'Cause like, I mean, he was there, he was there, he boom, bam. I'm like, "Damn, okay, K-Love." But I was nervous, I was nervous as hell.

Like, I didn't, I'm like, "How did he get on Steph?" That was a moment, dude. I thought Steph was gonna drive 'cause he had got a layup, I feel like, the play before. On the drive and it was enough time. You know what I mean? But that switch was like, okay, Steph getting to the step back and shout out to the Bruin great, Kevin Love. You know, we Bruin. There you go. Sit down, bro.

Stop it. Y'all don't know.

Sit down.

Y'all got a couple people up from UCLA that sit down. You, Russ, and Drew.

Keep going. Norm.

Norm don't sit down no more. Nah.

He don't wanna sit down. Wait, hey, hold on.

Norm don't sit down.

Let that thing go.

Hold on. Hey, Norm was just on the show talking about defense.

Nah, nah, nah, nah. Just keep talking about offense, Norm.

Come on, Norm. What happened? He all offense now, T-Lou?

All offense, all offense.

And Matt Barnes. That's it. That's all y'all got to say. Oh, Loon. Loon.

Loon. Come on, Payton Washington. Zach Levine lost his ball.

Zach Levine, and if you don't, Zach don't play no defense. Also, how many in that whole group you just named, how many all defensive teams in that group?

Oh man, we always get hosed.

Oh, I bet. So we gonna move on then, T-Lou. Yeah, yeah, we gonna move on. We gonna move on. We just not gonna speak of UCLA like they defense you.

Big Ten, baby. We gonna see when that matchup happen.

Y'all don't wanna play us. "It's nice weather where y'all go to school." Okay. "Y'all don't wanna play us, don't do that." It's crazy because T. Lou was just saying they decided to switch Klay and Steph stuff. And the way they were guarding us, it was then like, man. And even a little bit before that, like we struggled a bit with OKC, but then we end up coming back and winning that series. And then it obviously reared its ugly head against the Cavs in a great year. But teams were starting to figure out how to guard us. And so, you know, at that point we gotta figure out what's next. We go sign KD. What's your reaction to that, T-Lou, when you see that?

It's over. Like, it's like, you know, I'm saying you game plan. Like, 'cause I mean, like you said, we thought we figured y'all out. You know what I'm saying? Instead we went back the next year, it could have went either way again. But like, we thought we had the blueprint on how to guard. And how to attack, you know, how to attack y'all offensively. 'Cause y'all was always top 5 in defense. You know what I mean? A big shout out to Ron Adams. You know what I'm saying? Like—

Yes, sir.

But when y'all got KD, it just made it so, I mean, come on. You blitz Steph and now you got Klay and KD on the weak side. You know, you short rolling, you got Iguodala for the lob and you got Klay and KD in the corners. Like, it just became—

Come on, dude.

Yeah, it just became too hard. Like, it was too hard to, To really, like I said, match up offensively. And y'all was always great defensive team. So once y'all got KD, I mean, it was like, I mean, it was, it was, it was—