Luka Doncic Praises 'Unbelievable' Draymond Green as 'Key' to Warriors' Success

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic heaped praise on Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green ahead of their Western Conference Finals matchup.

"Obviously, [Klay Thompson] and [Stephen Curry] are incredible offensive guys, but I think the key to the Warriors' team is Draymond," Doncic told reporters Tuesday. "He's just unbelievable. I really respect him and everything he does."

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, "That includes trash talk."

"That's the fun of the game. I love that part," Doncic added.

Game 1 will go down on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET at San Francisco's Chase Center.

Both Doncic and Green are coming off phenomenal performances.

Doncic dropped a game-high 35 points en route to a 123-90 win over the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He notably led the Mavs in points, rebounds, assists and steals during the series.

Green had a 14-point, 15-rebound, eight-assist showing in a series-clinching 110-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6. He's a battle-tested jack-of-all-trades who has won three NBA titles and earned four All-Star nods during his career.

Green hasn't been shy about complimenting Doncic and has done so on multiple occasions:

There isn't exactly a war of words or bulletin-board material being swapped between two teams who clearly have mutual respect for one another.

Doncic also discussed the loud and passionate Warriors fanbase:

Doncic is clearly living in the moment as he advances to his first-ever conference finals.

The Warriors are back in the conference finals for the first time since 2019, which capped a five-year stretch in which they made it to the NBA Finals (three titles). Dallas is making its return for the first time since 2011, when it went on to win the Finals over the Miami Heat.