"That was the only guy who could really talk s**t about accomplishments" - Draymond Green gets candid about LeBron James, how he struggled at Golden State Warriors at times, and more

There's no denying that Draymond Green has been one of the most intense players to step onto an NBA floor in recent years. An argument could be had that Green has been the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors over the last nine years of his career. The three-time All-Star is known for his passion and ability on the defensive side of the ball. When you talk about "glue-guy" types of players on NBA rosters, Draymond Green is most likely the poster boy for that example.

After a lengthy run of success for Golden State that resulted in three NBA Championships, the Warriors have encountered a number of rollercoaster type of seasons. The team has dealt with a number of injuries and substractions to their organization. Klay Thompson hasn't played a game in almost two years. Steph Curry suffered an injury as well that made him miss the majority of a season. Kevin Durant left the Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets after winning a championship. To top all of that off, the Warriors have begun to draft a number of high potential talents that give the notion that this organization is looking to find players for the long-term future.

Struggling with realization in the NBA

Draymond Green struggled with the Warriors adversity

During a recent interview with Logan Murdock of The Ringer, Draymond Green opened up about the struggles he's encountered over recent years with the Golden State Warriors. Green talks about how it all started during the 2019-20 season.

“I wasn’t interested in the game,” he admits.

It's definitely a shocking quote from a player who has been considered one of the most passionate in the NBA when it comes to the game of basketball. But can you really blame Green? Over the span of six months, Kevin Durant left, Klay Thompson tore his ACL, and Stephen Curry broke his hand. That left Draymond as the only part of a suddenly depleated Warriors team. It would lead to the Warriors going on to finish with a 15-50 record that year.

“You couldn’t have told me three months before that I would go from the best team ever to the fucking worst team in the NBA. It was frustrating. And it was also a mind-fuck.”

Any of us would struggle if put into the same position. Going from having success each and every year to suddenly struggling to get wins on a nightly basis. Green went on to talk about the mindset struggle in depth. He talked about how going from a position of confidence to doubt was one of the hardest things he's had to deal with during his time in the NBA.

“You’re walking in these arenas and four years you’ve been like, ‘We’re going to go win,’ and now you’re walking in and there’s actually no chance we win this game,” Green says. “Not only do you know you’re going to get your ass kicked, but the other team knows they’re going to kick your ass and they’re not even taking you seriously.”

For a player that had been one of the most successful in the NBA, it suddenly became hard for Draymond Green to block out the critics. His team was one of the worst in the NBA, and it lacked the firepower to compete on a nightly basis. Green tried to stay up beat, as he understood that there weren't a lot of people around the NBA that could communicate with him on a basketball level. One of the players that Green had respect for was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it killed my pride because at the end of the day I knew that there was only one person in this league that can talk anything to me about anything basketball,” Green says. “And that’s LeBron. That was the only guy who could really talk shit about accomplishments or the game of basketball in this league.”

An Unlikely Relationship Bringing the Love for Basketball Back

Dramyond Green and Charles Barkley have developed a relationship off the court

Throughout those years, a number of critics off the court had targeted Draymond Green when it came to the media. One of his biggest opponents off the court had become TNT analyst and former NBA legend Charles Barkley. The two personalities continued to have "beef" with some of the comments that were going back and forth.

”I’m not saying a fucking word to him,” Green said to himself, “I don’t like him and if we just have to come to blows, then we just got to come to blows.”

Eventually Green was given the opportunity of a lifetime. He was asked to come on Inside the NBA as a guest analyst, opening up a potential door down the road for a chance to do something after his playing career came to an end. It would end up being the start of something unexpected. A mutual respect for two players who were known for playing with a chip on their shoulders on a nightly basis.

“He’s one of the best people I’ve ever been around in my life,” Green says. “And it caught me so off guard, because it was the total opposite of what I was expecting.”

The similarities between the two personalities were difficult to ignore. It would become the start of a special bond, as the two hit if off and continued to shine whenever they shared the screen together. For a player who has been so passionate about the game of basketball, it looks as if it is just what Draymond Green needs to get his excitement with the sport back again. With the Golden State Warriors suddenly looking like a potentially dangerous team in the Western Conference again, it looks as if Draymond can get back to his winning ways once again.