Draymond Green Recalls How Kevin Garnett Forced Out Mother’s Learnings on the Court

Trash-talking is one of the most essential aspects of being an NBA player. It helps players get under their opponents’ skin and one-up them during games. In the storied history of the NBA, there have been some legendary trash-talkers who became famous for their verbal battles on the court. And former NBA Champion Kevin Garnett is one of the top players on that list. Not only was Garnett a great basketball player, but he also loved to be vocal during games and give opponents a piece of his mind.

Warriors’ superstar Draymond Green recalled his on-court experience with Garnett and revealed how he stood up to him during the early days of his career. During a discussion with Celtics legend Paul Pierce on The Draymond Green Show, Green claimed when Garnett stood next to him during games, he would trash-talk him continuously and use every word in the book. “That ni**a’s crazy!… Who’s he talking to man?” Draymond wondered as The Big Ticket cursed him out while standing at the free-throw line.

Green, being a great trash-talker himself, confronted Garnett after the Celtics legend called him soft, “Aye, you ain’t gonna keep talking to me like that.” The Warriors superstar further revealed what helped him confront Garnett, “I have always been taught by my mom, by my neighbourhood, the foot that you start off on, that’s where it’s going.” The incident even earned him the respect of KG’s teammate Paul Pierce. Knowing Draymond’s on-court history, he is not the one to back down from an altercation. And he did the same while going up against the Celtics legend.

Draymond Green looked up to Kevin Garnett before entering the league

When Draymond Green got drafted into the NBA, he was not the highest recruit in his draft class. With a 6’6 frame and the skillset of a Forward, Green did not fit into the mold of a typical NBA player. Green realized early in his life that he needed to use his emotions and verbal leadership as an advantage over other players to gain an edge. During his podcast, Green revealed he took a lot from Kevin Garnett because he wore his emotions on his sleeve and communicated well. “I felt like I could relate to that.” Green said.

Read More: Stephen A. Smith Challenges Kevin Garnett’s Misguided Remark on Nikola Jokić: “They Had to Change Rules for This Man”

That quality helped Draymond become a vocal leader for the Golden State Warriors. Even though Draymond was never the best player on his team, the Warriors might not have won their 4 Championships without him. Green embraced his role in a stacked Warriors roster and helped them become one of the most dominant NBA dynasties.