Nearly Retired Draymond Green Reveals Rival Coach’s Emotional Words That Helped Him Through Mental Trauma

Last season, the Warriors faced plenty of drama, largely due to Draymond Green‘s on-court antics, which often got both him and the team into trouble. From Choking to punching—he stopped at nothing. It seemed like Draymond was determined to surpass Rasheed Wallace’s 29 ejections. However, after receiving some valuable advice, Green managed to get back on track and move away from the path of disruption he had previously chosen. But, whose advice was it?

It was someone the Warriors forward considered one of the wisest. On The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, the hosts had a pleasant episode with the Clippers head coach, Ty Lue discussing the various aspects of the league. Before ending the show, Draymond wanted to share some special memories with his audience, moments related to Lue that helped him overcome a dark mental phase.

Revealing what the 47-year-old advised, Draymond stated, “T Lue said, Dray, you gotta still be you. He’s like, you ain’t special not being you. He’s like, that’s what makes you special. You have to be you and you have to play with that same fire and you have to be that same guy. He said, but it can’t be everybody.”

Lue further suggested Draymond that it has to be one at a time. “It can’t be you going at your teammates and then going at your coach and then going at the referees and then going at players on the other team. It can’t be everybody,” the 34-year-old added. That’s exactly what got him into trouble. The 4-time champion used to react aggressively whenever something got to him. However, Lue’s suggestion to focus on handling one reaction at a time would certainly save him from unnecessary ejections.

This came at a time when Draymond just served his 12-game suspension for hitting Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in December 2023. He reached out to Lue for some wisdom and it turned out to be the right choice.

Draymond Green shows gratitude to Ty Lue for leading him in the “right direction”

After facing backlash for his frequent physical altercations last season, Draymond Green realized he needed to stop. The constant strain was taking a toll on his mental well-being. Following Ty Lue’s advice now appeared to be a wiser path for the 4-time All-Star. Draymond informed, “I’d be trying to practice that. And I will say I’ve taken steps in the right direction. Meaning I pick and choose.” So now, instead of going after opponents, officials, and everyone all at once, he chooses his moments more wisely.

For Lue’s valuable input, Draymond said, “I just wanted to say thank you because that at that time was huge for me. And it’s actually a lot better for me.” This season, his ejections have certainly reduced, and so far, he has only been ejected once, which is a significant improvement. A huge round of credit goes to the Clippers’ coach for that.

Whether Draymond can continue following Ty Lue’s advice and maintain a clean sheet this season remains to be seen. However, if he can sustain this discipline, it will undoubtedly benefit his personal goals and the team’s success.