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In the midst of a turbulent time following a colossal loss in the 2016 NBA Finals, Draymond Green felt the weight of the world fall upon him as his Golden State Warriors squandered a 3-1 lead after his Game 5 suspension, missing out on a second consecutive championship after a record-breaking season.
It didn't take long for Green to take the brunt of the fault for his mistake, with fans, executives, and media personalities pointing to him as the sole reason the Warriors let go of the rope when it mattered most.
As a guest in The Jim Rome Podcast, Green admitted to how tough it was to deal with it all.
“I was kind of going through a situation where I was so worried about what everyone else was saying about me,” said Green. “It was just rough on me. Media was bashing me, fans were bashing me — saying I was who I absolutely knew I wasn't — and it was really bothering me.”
Green sought advice from a recently-retired Kobe Bryant, who noted he would never be understood by others giving his competitive nature and pushing for greatness — an area that less than one percent of people can relate to.
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“He said ‘if you wait for them to understand you, if you wait for that, you're f***ed,” Rome said, quoting Bryant's original words. “That's what he said, right?”
“Absolutely, absolutely,” Green continued. “And it's true. I'll wait the rest of my life waiting for them to understand it and they'll never get it.”
Bryant has become somewhat of a muse for current players, who often reach out to him due to his championship pedigree and reputation with over 20 years of experience in the league.
Green would bounce back from the incident to help anchor a Warriors team to a 15-1 run in the playoffs, another championship, and a Defensive Player of the Year award.
Thanks Kobe!
