How LeBron influenced Draymond’s decision to re-sign with the Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green, like one of his longtime Warriors teammates, considered a fresh start elsewhere but unlike Klay Thompson, he ultimately decided to stay with the only NBA franchise he has ever known.
Before Green, a first-time free agent, decided to return to Golden State In June 2023, the veteran forward flirted with the idea of joining the Memphis Grizzlies, who offered him a more lucrative contract than Golden State.
However, as Green explained on the latest episode of “The Warner House” podcast Along with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, his decision to stay with the Warriors was, in part – and perhaps ironically – influenced by Los Angeles Lakers superstar and close friend LeBron James.
“The number one piece of advice he gave me, and there are millions,” Green said of the advice he received from James over the years. “…but the one that impacted me the most, more than anything, was when I came to an inflection point: do I leave the Warriors or do I (sign with the Grizzlies)?
“And when I made this decision, we were sitting together. We were in Paris at Fashion Week and I’m having these conversations on the phone. He’s sitting at the table, I have to answer the phone for Rich (Paul), I talk to Mike Dunleavy, I talk to Joe Lacob and he’s there to figure it all out.”
James offered Green some frank advice, which he took to heart and ultimately made the decision he believed was best for him.
“And so I asked him, I said, ‘Bron, what would you do?’ Because on the table I have from Memphis (a three-year, $105 million contract),” Green said. “I only signed (a four-year, $100 million contract) with the Warriors, so there’s a big financial difference, no state taxes in Tennessee, a big financial difference.
“And I talk to Bron about it and he kind of says it’s hard to let the money go, but he keeps coming back to how much Golden State means to me, how much I did there- And ultimately his advice was more like, “You just did something so special there, you have a chance to continue there and continue doing it. Why don’t you go to Memphis and do it.” great things and you could possibly be the missing piece to do something? special, but is it as special as you all made it? Would it be as special as you made it?
Green appreciated the advice not only because it came from a friend, but also from a current Pacific Division rival who has a history of losing to Golden State on the biggest stage and would certainly benefit from breaking the Warriors trio of Green, Thompson and Steph Curry. up.
“And that’s just something that stood out to me the most because he’s also someone that, in the special stuff we did, he was largely on the wrong side of,” Green said. “And giving that perspective in those moments, whatever side you were on, it meant a lot to me. As someone who had an object in the palm of their hand, left it and then came back looking for it is a different vision of everything, it’s always what strikes me the most because it was a real inflection point in my life.
Even though Green would have remained in the Western Conference with another playoff-caliber team had he joined the Grizzlies, James knew what the right decision was for his longtime friend and rival.
Even if it meant the core of one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties would remain intact for the foreseeable future.
