“Things are totally different. I am different. » It is Draymond Green who speaks. Is this really the case, when he got heated again recently, against the Pistons, and remains quite nervous when the tone rises here or there. We can think of his attitude towards Zach Edey, for example.
But for Steve Kerr, his player has truly gained in wisdom. He notes that against Memphis, at the beginning of January, while Jaren Jackson Jr. dominated him by making baskets, he knew how to remain calm. Which is not nothing for him.
“He was very good at keeping calm. It's frustrating for Draymond. He really takes things to heart, emotions are strong for him. So that he stays on the right path, it was important in our victory”then explained the Golden State coach.
He had lost control over his emotions
We must remember that last season, the four-time champion more than exceeded the limits. Twice, because of dangerous actions, he was suspended. First by strangling Rudy Gobert in the middle of November 2023. Then with his blow to the face of Jusuf Nurkic a month later, mid-December.
“I wasn’t in the game that night. I didn't want to be there, I didn't feel like I was there.” remembers the interior in a long article from ESPN. “My body was there, but not my mind. My emotions weren't there. I was away. I was there because I had to be there. I had no desire to play, to be on the floor. I was there without being there. »
He was suspended for five matches during the first episode, then until further notice after the match against Portland. He will miss 12 games and will return on January 15, 2024. This very bad streak can be summed up in the player's words: “There is a time for that but you can’t go overboard all the time. I was wobbling and it was unpleasant. »
During this second period of suspension, we know, Draymond Green worked with the NBA. There was an important discussion with Adam Silver and especially regular meetings, via Zoom. To speak with him, we found Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Rick Celebrini, GM and medical manager of the Warriors, his agent Rich Paul, but also, on the NBA side, Kathy Behrens, president of social responsibility and player programs, as well as David Weiss, responsible for player health.
Even if there are faces known to him, the player is not at ease during the first two meetings, having more the impression of being in court than in a time of discussions supposed to help him.
Meetings that turn into therapy
Everything will change during the third meeting, with Draymond Green more talkative about his experiences, about his thoughts. From then on, having a meeting once a week becomes pleasant, to talk, rather than a ball and chain to please the NBA.
“The last thing we want, when we participate in these meetings, is to say that we screwed up on this or that. Above all, we want to be spared and to say what we did.” explains the player. “What I discovered during these meetings is that we become responsible but also that it is a therapy session. I started talking about some things I experienced with my therapist. »
As the result was positive and he returned to the floor without fault, the league decided to put an end to these meetings. But Draymond Green did not agree: he who was reluctant at the beginning now wanted to continue. So there were six more meetings after the 2024 All-Star Game, the last of which was last October.
“These moments were therapeutic for me. It helped me and I loved it. My goal is to do these meetings for the rest of my career because it’s incredible.”he announces, he who had also been followed by a psychologist for two years. Again a difficult process at the start, but beneficial on arrival. He now consults two, as well as a sports psychologist.
After and with all that, the former defender of the year manages to better manage his emotions since, since then, he has no longer broken down in proportions similar to those of November and December 2023.
“I want people to say that it was a very dark time but that we have to look back and that I took my responsibilities. No matter what I think about the moment with Gobert, with Nurkic, with Jordan Poole or others, I took it in stride. I took responsibility and moved forward. It's my fault. I had to be better and I failed. We all fail. But I'm not a failure”concludes Draymond Green.
| Draymond Green | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 79 | 13 | 32.7 | 20.9 | 81.8 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.9 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 82 | 22 | 40.7 | 33.3 | 66.7 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 6.2 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 79 | 32 | 44.3 | 33.7 | 66.0 | 1.4 | 6.7 | 8.2 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 11.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 49.0 | 38.8 | 69.6 | 1.7 | 7.8 | 9.5 | 7.4 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 14.0 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 76 | 33 | 41.8 | 30.8 | 70.9 | 1.3 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 10.2 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 70 | 33 | 45.4 | 30.1 | 77.5 | 1.1 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 11.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 66 | 31 | 44.5 | 28.5 | 69.2 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 7.4 |
| 2019-20 | GOS | 43 | 28 | 38.9 | 27.9 | 75.9 | 0.5 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 8.0 |
| 2020-21 | GOS | 63 | 32 | 44.7 | 27.0 | 79.5 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 7.0 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 46 | 29 | 52.5 | 29.6 | 65.9 | 1.0 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 7.5 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 73 | 32 | 52.7 | 30.5 | 71.3 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 8.5 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 55 | 27 | 49.7 | 39.5 | 73.0 | 1.4 | 5.9 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 8.6 |
| 2024-25 | GOS | 33 | 29 | 41.7 | 36.2 | 61.5 | 1.1 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 8.7 |
| Total | 846 | 29 | 45.0 | 32.2 | 70.9 | 1.1 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 8.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
