Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green shared his thoughts regarding Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The Golden State Warriors have been incredibly familiar with LeBron James throughout recent history. During James’ time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the two teams were regulars in the NBA Finals through the Warriors’ dynasty.
Between Draymond Green and James, there have been plenty of battles. The defensive stopper was continually tasked with guarding one of the best players in the history of the sport. As of late, though, the narrative between the two has changed.
Despite Green and James going toe-to-toe to determine an NBA champion in many different seasons, the Warriors forward has been a huge public fan of James‘, citing a friendship and “brotherhood” between the two.
Green shuts down narrative with James
Because of their friendship, social media and pundits are beginning to claim that Green and James might take their matchups against each other easy, or don’t quite provide the same spark they used to.
As the Warriors forward sees it, that’s not the case whatsoever.
“There’s always this public disdain over me and Bron’s brotherhood. I try to kill him [on the court] more than anybody.
“I take him out. And vice versa. That’s what it is,” Green explained.
This is the case among many different players. There’s a variety of close friendships across the league, but once they hit the court, only one thing matters — and that’s winning. Being rivals for many years led to their friendship, even.
Since James’ arrival in the Western Conference, the two have matched up more throughout the regular season, though those lower-stakes games mean less and don’t add more fuel to the rivalry.
Green, James looking to find form in Western Conference
Outside of winning the 2022 NBA Finals, the Warriors have slid in recent years. The same goes for the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the title in 2020. Both have aging superstars at the helm and will both be looking for one last go to build a contending squad.
The Warriors lost Klay Thompson, though Green and Stephen Curry will anchor the team. The Lakers still have James and Anthony Davis, though first-year head coach JJ Redick will give the club a new look.
Both teams are at the end of their competitive window, and have been Play-In Tournament teams in recent seasons. It’ll be interesting to see how their season’s, respectively, play out and what both squads have left in the tank.
