At 35 years old with four championships already secured, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green remains driven to earn his 10th All-Defensive team selection. In a recent interview, Green discussed his defensive motivations, the value of defense in the NBA, and his commitment to the Warriors. He credits a conversation with team staff that highlighted the elite company of players with 10 or more All-Defensive honors.
Draymond Green, the 35-year-old Golden State Warriors forward, is motivated by the prospect of joining an exclusive club of NBA greats. During a 34-minute interview at Chase Center in San Francisco, Green revealed that longtime Warriors media relations director Raymond Ridder shared a list last season of players with at least 10 All-Defensive team selections: Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Scottie Pippen. With nine selections already, Green said, “You see a list like that, and that immediately becomes your ‘why.’ It’s like, ‘Man, I need to give all that I f—ing can to be on that thing.’”
Green, who has played in 1,057 regular-season and playoff games over 14 seasons, emphasized his role as the Warriors' defensive captain. He signed a four-year, $100 million extension in the summer of 2023 and has a player option for 2026-27. Reflecting on the NBA's current landscape, Green criticized the luxury-tax system for limiting opportunities for defensive specialists in free agency, noting that even average scorers command higher pay. He cited recent deals like Toumani Camara's four-year, $82 million contract with Portland, Dyson Daniels' four-year, $100 million with Atlanta, Christian Braun's five-year, $125 million with Denver, Jabari Smith Jr.'s five-year, $122 million with Houston, and Chet Holmgren's extension with Oklahoma City.
Addressing Kevin Durant's recent comments that offense wins championships and defense is easy, Green countered, “I think when you look at any team that won a championship, they had a great defense.” He acknowledged Durant's past success with the Warriors but maintained that teams without elite defense rarely succeed. Green also discussed the challenge posed by young defenders like 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama, saying competing against the best brings out his finest play.
Looking ahead, Green expressed no timeline for retirement, stating, “My body feels better and better every year.” He wants to finish his career with the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry and coach Steve Kerr, whose contract ends next season. “I struggle with change,” Green said, confident that extensions will align if the team performs well.