Draymond Green Could Tell LeBron James Was Exhausted After 3rd Quarter

The Golden State Warriors are only one win away from the NBA title, and Draymond Green decided to pull Superman's cape a little after Wednesday's 118-113 Game 3 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

"I caught LeBron walking off at the end of the third quarter and you could just tell he was exhausted," he said of LeBron James, per NBA TV:

Frankly, James would have every reason to be tired following Wednesday's contest. He carried his team for large stretches against one of the greatest teams in NBA history and finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists behind a blistering 15-of-27 mark from the field and four three-pointers.

What's more, he played 45 of a possible 48 minutes and nearly willed the Cavaliers to victory when they established a six-point lead before Golden State closed on an 11-0 run.

Despite James likely being tired, the fact it was Green who said something that could even be perceived as even slightly negative about James is notable considering their history. It was James who stepped over Green in Game 4 of last year's Finals, causing the Michigan State product to retaliate and draw a suspension for Game 5.

While James certainly doesn't need to be motivated with a title on the line, Green saying something that could cause the King's ears to perk up and fuel him even more is a risky move. After all, this is the same player who destroyed last year's Warriors after the tussle with Green with 41 points in each of Games 5 and 6 and a triple-double in Game 7 as Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit.

Golden State will likely receive another head-turning performance from James during Friday's Game 4 with his season on the line, whether he is tired or not. It will be up to Green and Co. to slow him down.