Now that the dust of the NBA Finals has settled and the new-look Warriors seem to be ready for the 2016-17 season, there still remains one question from the series versus the Cavaliers: Are Draymond Green and LeBron James still bitter rivals?
Everyone remembers the scuffle in Game 4 that led to Green being suspended one game, as well as the comments traded back and forth between the two teams. In a recent interview with DraftKings, Green opened up about his friendship with James on and off the court.
“A lot of people try to make it out to be, you know, with LeBron and I, that there’s this beef, and this, that and the other … it’s not. Me and LeBron are friends. We’re business partners,” Green said. “Nonetheless, when I step on the court next year, I’m gonna go at him. When he steps on the court next year, he’s gonna go at me. That’s the game we play. It’s not about ‘Oh, you’re doing this. You’re doing that.’ Off the court is off the court, and on the court is on the court.
“What happens on the court also stays on the court. And at the end of the day, you’re competing for a championship. Things are going to happen because there’s a lot of emotion that go into that, there’s a lot of hard work. And you’re going to do whatever you can to try to win. There isn’t this beef that people try to make it out to be. But if they want to make it out be … if that helps them sleep at night, then that’s OK.”
The Warriors and the Cavaliers as the early favorites to reach the 2016 NBA Finals, and if you ask most people around the league, they’re both virtual locks to meet for a third straight championship.
You can watch Green with DraftKings here.