Draymond Green is standing by his comments regarding Steve Kerr and the impact the coach had on his career.
Green initially suggested Kerr may have hindered him, and he has now doubled down, saying other players share similar sentiments about their coaches.
“You can talk to any basketball player in the world,” Green said. “They’re going to have a gripe about their coach. Some gripe. All things could be great. They’re going to say one thing negative about their coach. Not negative, but just something that they felt could be better for them. That’s every player in the world. You go ask LeBron James about each coach he’s played for. I guarantee you he has some gripe about that coach when he played for him.
“That’s basketball. That’s the sport. That’s what we’re in. There’s going to be a gripe. You go talk to Steph Curry right now, who has never had a bad negative thing to say about Steve, and if you talk to him, and obviously in private, I guarantee you he’s going to have some gripe because that’s every basketball player in the world.”
Green’s Gripe With Kerr
Green previously stated that Kerr may have been a factor in him not achieving his full potential.
“As much as he’s done for me in basketball, a part of me thinks he’s hindered me in my career and what I could have become,” Green stated. “But what he’s also helped me become. Like you got to take the good with the bad, man.
“You know, when I think of who I was offensively as a player and who I became, I think a part of that is due to him. I don’t hold that against him. I’m forever grateful that he still put me in a position to be successful and that I could become Draymond Green despite my offensive role on our team.”
Green has not averaged double-digit points since 2018. The 36-year-old has never averaged more than 14.0 points per game in the NBA.
Success Under Kerr
Green has enjoyed considerable success with Kerr as his coach. He has won four NBA championships and one Defensive Player of the Year award.
He also made four All-Star appearances, two All-NBA selections and nine All-Defensive Team selections.
“If you talk to coach Kerr about playing for Phil Jackson, he’s going to have some gripe,” Green added. “That is basketball, so I’m a little bewildered that I could say all of these great things, and the one thing that I say that was my small gripe, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s world news.’”
Throughout his career, Green has earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s best defensive players and as the Warriors’ vocal leader.
Even though Green feels that his offensive development was impeded, he still has expressed his gratitude for Kerr as his coach and for all the successes they have shared together.