You know the NBA is back when Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is running his mouth and making jokes.
Green helped the Warriors defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 119-109, at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday in their season opener. The veteran forward tallied eight points, seven rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and two blocks in another all-around outing.
Golden State survived the 43-point explosion of Luka Doncic, who had to carry a heavier load with LeBron James out for an extended period due to a sciatica injury.
After the game, Green was asked about playing against the Lakers without James, who missed a season opener for the first time in his legendary career. Green had the perfect response.
“LeBron’s old ass was over there in his Phil Jackson chair,” joked the Warriors star, as shown in the video posted by 95.7 The Game on X.
It elicited laughter from reporters, but the 35-year-old Green quickly turned serious, admitting that it was “very odd” not seeing the 40-year-old James on opening night.
“It's always different when he's not out there. Obviously, we've had battles with Luka as well. Luka's an incredible player, but Bron is Bron. (With) the battles that we've had over the years, you look forward to it,” added the four-time champion.
“So it was really odd not seeing LeBron there. You look over and you see him in street clothes.”
Draymond: “LeBron’s old ass was over there in his Phil Jackson chair.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/l98x7ALMK6
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 22, 2025
Green and James were fierce rivals during the championship clashes between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But over the years, they've become close friends, even vacationing together during the offseason.
They are also both managed by Klutch Sports Group, which has allowed them more opportunities to hang out together.
