The doubters don’t think the Golden State Warriors will play an essential role in the NBA and Western Conference next season, and some of them are even saying they will not make the playoffs. Draymond Green, who received a $100 million contract extension with the Warriors, doesn’t think so.
“I’ve heard people say we’re not gonna make the playoffs. That’s crazy to me,” Green said in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “I mean, that’s just, like, that’s total disrespect, but no different than the disrespect we’ve all been getting for years.”
Green doesn’t feel the skepticism is justified and he’s fine with it.
“I like it,” he said. “You know, being the underdog. It’s been a while since we been the underdog. But it brings that underdog chip back, and I miss that chip. I’m pretty sure Steph [Curry] missed that chip, and some of the stuff Klay been texting me this summer, I’m positive he misses the chip. So to the oddsmakers, thanks. You got me where I am today. I look forward to where they take me again.”
Draymond and the Warriors are ready to bring back that underdog mentality this season.
(via @Rachel__Nichols) pic.twitter.com/s0hGKaHyc4
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 14, 2019
Green didn’t want to become a free agent next season and leave the Warriors, and that’s why he was happy to sign a contract extension earlier this month. This contract is the proof against the doubters and haters, and Green is delighted he can rub his new extension in the noses of those doubters.
“It just tells you that there was a method to that madness,” Green told Nichols. “And while so many people tried to write it differently, as I said before, they were wrong. There’s proof in the pudding now that you were wrong. And I enjoy that just a tad.”
Stephen Curry on Draymond Green’s extension: “He worked his ass off to get here.” pic.twitter.com/2EmQTqUcg9
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) August 13, 2019
When asked about Kevin Durant and whether he knew before everybody that Durant was leaving the Warriors, Green said that he didn’t know.
“It’s my life, like, am I supposed to come to you and A) let you know that that’s what I wanna do, or B) ask you for permission? No,” Green said. “And so I found out when everybody else found out, which is exactly how it should be.”
