LeBron James has made some close friends during his time in the NBA. While most of them have retired, a few are still playing in the league. One of them being Draymond Green. Their friendship was built after competing against each other countless times when James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, making Green and his Golden State Warriors NBA title rivals. But more than friends, they are uber competitive.
That competitiveness was on full display when the pair clashed for four straight years in the NBA Finals. Chris Haynes, who was reporting for ESPN in the 2016-17 season, brought up one such incident stemming from their competitiveness while speaking on the podcast Jefe Island.
I go into the locker room for the first time with the Warriors. Draymond was like, ‘I don’t trust you, bro’. You a Cavs spy. LeBron them sent you over here to spy on us. We ain’t messing with y’all, and Imma make sure nobody talk with you.’ He was dead serious.
Chris Haynes said
It goes to show that friendships are all pushed to the side when basketball takes over, even going to the extent of doubting Chris Haynes who was just trying to start his new assignment with ESPN.
Draymond Green is as competitive as they come. That competitiveness drove the 2nd round pick to be a Defensive Player of the Year and win 4 NBA titles. Knowing that he was part of a team that was revolutionizing how basketball was played, he must have had his doubts.
“Draymond was like, ‘I don’t trust you, bro… You a Cavs spy. LeBron [James] them sent you over here to spy on us. We ain’t messing with y’all, & Imma make sure nobody talk with you.’ He was dead serious.”
Chris Haynes on a story about Draymond Green 😳pic.twitter.com/ed2RutXMLg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 30, 2024
He might have felt that the only way LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers could beat them was if they figured out their schemes, which explains why he doubted Chris Haynes. Haynes covered the Cavaliers before taking up the Warriors assignment with ESPN.
LeBron James, Draymond Green and that epic 2016 NBA Finals
Even though many NBA titles have been won over the past decade, the 2016 NBA Finals serves as one of the most exciting clashes. With LeBron James and his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers wanting to win their first ever NBA title, the battles were epic.
The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, were the defending champions. That too, using unique methods of switching on both offense and defense, all to throw off the competition. The Warriors had set the new NBA regular season record with that specialist offense. The team was so good that it demanded every last drop of sweat from the now all-time leading scorer and his teammates.
Eventually, after 7 games battling back and forth, the Cavaliers won the NBA title. That series cemented the legacy of LeBron James. At the same time, it made Draymond Green and his teammates hungry for more. That sums up why he did not let Chris Haynes into their locker room.
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