Warriors' Draymond Green Found Love of NBA Again After Going 'Through a Lot of S--t'

Draymond Green is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and the Golden State Warriors forward says he owes his stellar play to recapturing his passion for the game.

"I've just kind of found that love again," Green told reporters after Sunday's 115-102 win over the Toronto Raptors. "Kind of go through a lot of s--t and the love kind of wanes a little bit. But I've just found that love and joy for the game, and I'm just enjoying playing basketball and controlling what I can control. A point of emphasis for myself this year was simply to control what I could control. That means on the court, that means with the referees, that means off the floor—that's just a step in my life, and I think it shows on the basketball court."

Green is averaging 7.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game this season and shooting a career-high 55.6 percent from the field. He's mostly eliminated three-pointers from his game, averaging just 1.1 attempt per game this season, while looking reengaged on the defensive end.

The Warriors have raced out to an NBA-best 15-2 record with Green playing at Defensive Player of the Year levels and Stephen Curry emerging as arguably the MVP of the season's first quarter. Golden State will also soon see a boost with the return of Klay Thompson, who is ramping up his activity after missing the past two seasons.

Green says his children have played a strong motivating factor. The three-time All-Star wants his kids to remember seeing him play at a high level, and he's also determined to prove wrong those who counted him out. 

"Most importantly I want to win, I want to be a Defensive Player of the Year again and I want to be an All-Star again," Green said. "And that is motivating me because a lot of people had counted me out. Same mistake people made before when I first came into the league, but a lot of people doubted me, and doubted me again. And that's fuel to the fire."