Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green recently took a quick stroll down memory lane — all the way back to when he came into the league as a 35th overall pick in 2012. The three-time All-Star recalled how then-Dubs head coach Mark Jackson motivated him by letting him be who he really was.

According to Green, he did not exactly see eye to eye with the Warriors brass upon his arrival:

“So when you go into these NBA organizations, they immediately want you to be who they want you to be,” Draymond told Cari Champion on “The Brownprint” podcast, via Drew Shiller of NBC Sports. “I didn't want to be who they wanted me to be.”

Thankfully for him, he had the full backing of Jackson, as the coach did not want Green to be someone he was not:

“And I also had a coach in Mark Jackson who told me from the very beginning, ‘Listen, I want you to come here as the same Draymond I've been watching on TV for years,” Green said. “I want you to be an animal, be a dog and be a leader. I don't care who is in front of you, I don't care who has more money than you, who has more status in the league than you — I want you to come in and be the same leader that you've been your whole life.'

“And I'm forever thankful for Mark Jackson because to hear that from your head coach as a second-round pick, it's almost like a stamp of approval. And I think a lot of guys don't necessarily get that coming into the league. I was very fortunate to have Mark Jackson tell me that from the very beginning.”

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Green did not make an immediate impact on his team early in his career. He needed a few years before he was able to evolve into the Draymond Green that played a key role in the Dubs dynasty. In his mind, he would not have achieved the same had it not been for Jackson's support.

For his part, Jackson parted ways with the Warriors in 2014, which was two years after the team had drafted Green. Jackson may have not won anything during his three-year stint with Golden State, but narratives such as the one above prove how he played a pivotal role in laying the foundations of what would turn out to be a multiple championship-winning squad.