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Draymond Green took some time out of his busy schedule to lend advice to high school basketball players looking to advance their careers. The Golden State star touched on a number of topics in a short discussion with the group before getting players back out on the court.
In his pep talk, Green wanted competitors to both play with high basketball IQ and stop making excuses.
Take a listen:
@bleacherreport Draymond Green dropping knowledge on some young hoopers at the Klutch Sports NIL camp 🔥 (via @Swish Cultures) #nba #basketball #nbabasketball #draymondgreen ♬ original sound – bleacherreport
Green is heard asking the players what they’ve done thus far to earn foul calls. He also noted his own checkered history with technicals in the NBA.
“I get a lot of techs,” he said. “So, I’m actually f—ed up on that part, but it’s also cost me $2.5 million.”
Draymond Green went on to blast players for “trying to be Steph Curry,” by heaving up three-pointer after three-pointer rather than attacking the rim.
Finally, he spoke on how recruiting rankings can cloud the minds of young hoopers. In his eyes, being highly rated can lead to complacency.
“I wasn’t highly ranked,” he preached. “All the [players] ranked before me, where are they? It really don’t mean anything. It means you’re good right now. Which means you’re more likely to stop working right now.”
While much of what Green spoke on was true, many latched on to his comments about complaining to officials.
“Great message, but it doesn’t feel right coming from a player like Draymond.”
A number of replies noted the irony.
“This is like Shaq giving advice on free throw shooting.”
“Equivalent to Snoop Dogg telling people smoking is bad for you.”
Green is an easy person to hate on given some of his past antics, but the advice should be heeded. He’s used scrappiness and effort to overcome any perceived shortcomings, turning it into a 12-year NBA career.
You may not like the four-time All-Star, but his words are worth listening to in this instance.