When Draymond Green asked his Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson for his “brutally honest” response regarding his frequent ejections this season, Thompson responded with a heartfelt “we just need you.”
A day after Thompson scored 32 points in the Warriors’ victory over the Utah Jazz at home, Thompson made an appearance on “The Draymond Green Show” to remind Green of the difference between his and the team’s success when he’s on the court and playing and when he’s getting thrown out and unhappy, which can affect his peer and ruin team chemistry.
It feels as though a portion of us is missing when you’re not around. Without you, we could never be who we are and enjoy the freedom we do on the court. I’m aware that the opposing team is relieved that you’re not playing. They can initially unwind a little bit, according to Thompson.
They are letting their hair down because our team’s vitality, our enforcer, that guy, is no longer present. We’ve fought our way to the top of the mountain, been forced to retreat and then climb back up, and now we have one more chance to succeed. Ultimately, all we really need is you.
“And that feeling of disappointment and shaking your head stems from the realization that, really, we can’t accomplish this without you.” And without Money Green, we wouldn’t be the Warriors. That is merely a fact.
This season, Green has been shown the door four times already. The most recent one occurred last month on March 27, less than four minutes into the Warriors’ 101-93 victory over the Orlando Magic.
It was the power forward’s first ejection following his 16-game NBA suspension due to his history of misbehavior, which began on December 12 when he hit Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
At the time, the 33-year-old Green, who has played in four Warriors championships, was ejected for the 18th time in his career, which is the most of any active NBA player. In November, he was also benched for head-locking Rudy Gobert of Minnesota; however, he was later suspended for five games.
Green’s departure from the 2022 NBA champions during training camp last season was a “mutual decision,” according to coach Steve Kerr, following the player’s forceful punch to former teammate Jordan Poole in the face. There were no injuries to either player.
Upon taking over as general manager of the Warriors following the conclusion of the previous season, Mike Dunleavy stated that he was dedicated to keeping Green. Shortly after, Green was awarded a new $100 million, four-year contract in late June. Although Kerr has consistently stated that he admires Green’s intense, boundary-pushing style of play, it will be interesting to watch how both teams handle this most recent discipline.
After stepping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest in a Game 2 loss against the Sacramento Kings in the previous spring, Green received a suspension for the Game 3 playoff victory. The Warriors achieved a historic feat by winning a playoff series despite falling behind 0-2 in the first place.