Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has been in the NBA for over 12 years now. Along with securing several accolades, the long journey has also allowed him to grow as a player, improve his game drastically, and be on a better standing than he was as a rookie. Having come a long way, Green is now turning his attention to the next generation and sharing his thoughts on what he expects from them.

A few hours ago, the Warriors star took to his official Instagram account to share a post on his story for his 4.1 million followers. The featured clip had a couple of 8 graders putting their skills to the test on a basketball court. One of the boys made use of a quick pass to gain the ball in his possession, grab onto it while making a leap, and deposit the same through the hoop.

While the post is almost two months old, the young player’s prowess was enough to catch the attention of Draymond Green. The power forward attached a caption alongside the post on his story, that read “I hope they teach this kid how to play and not fall in love with his bounce”.

Catching a glimpse of the high school player in action may have reminded the player of his own early days. During his time at Saginaw High School, the future NBA star started gaining traction after averaging 12 points and 11 rebounds during his second season, and 20 points with 13 rebounds in his final one. Through a 26-1 and a 27-1 record, he led his team to the state championship for two years in a row. Even today, the player doesn’t hesitate in giving credit to his high school and his hometown for shaping him up to be the tough competitor he is today.

“Saginaw has made me who I am. I love my city, proud to be from there” said Green in a statement. “You know that’s one thing that’s big. You know all through Saginaw you got to be tough to make it through it. I think they’ve done a great job of helping me become tougher and tougher as the years went on.”

Draymond Green knows that the journey to greatness starts from the beginning. The same thought may have compelled him to sent out the advice to the current high-schooler.

Draymond Green shares concern for NBA Champion Jayson Tatum: “He’ll have to face his biggest fear”

Despite being unable to make it to the playoffs, Draymond Green kept a close eye on the other teams who were competing for the chance to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy. In the end, the Boston Celtics ended up securing the championship title for the first time since 2008. Even though he did not win the Finals MVP title, Celtics lead scorer Jayson Tatum was certainly on top of the world over having achieved this feat. While Green was happy for the player as well, he was also concerned about Tatum’s state of mind going forward.

During a segment of ‘The Draymond Green Show’, the 34-year-old stated that while Jayson Tatum is currently feeling a high, that same feeling may end up turning itself. Having gone through the experience of winning a championship four times, Green knows that once the celebrations are over, the expectation to repeat his feat will be on the player once again.

“What that depression is driven by is, ‘Man, that feeling (of winning) felt so good. My biggest fear now is to never feel that feeling again,’” said Green. “And guess what, in that moment, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. You have to wait, at minimum, an entire year; at maximum, it’s infinity.”

While the 2023-24 season belonged to the Celtics, the same may not happen next year as well. Who knows? Maybe Draymond Green and co may end up rising to the top themselves.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA star rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.