Warriors' Draymond Green: 'Bulls--t Had Taken over the Love, the Drive Was Gone'

The time Draymond Green spent away from during his suspension last season helped the Golden State Warriors star gain a new perspective.

"The bulls--t had taken over the love; the drive was gone," he said to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "And so bulls--t taking over just led me down a bulls--t path. And it just led to more bulls--t."

Travis Walton, a longtime friend of Green's and his current trainer, told Youngmisuk he's seeing "a nicer Draymond."

"He's more intentional," Walton said. "He's more softer with things. Maybe when he's ready to erupt [in a training session], he's like, 'Let me look at it from a different perspective,' [where] the old Draymond would've went off. The old Draymond would've had a lot more to say than the Draymond right now."

In December 2013, the NBA suspended Green indefinitely after he struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during a game a night earlier. That resulted in his third ejection of the 2023-24 season, and he had already drawn a five-game ban for placing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock during an on-court scuffle.

The indefinite suspension ultimately cost Green 12 games and he sat out another four before returning to Golden State's lineup. The four-time All-Star said he contemplated retirement before NBA commissioner Adam Silver talked him out of the idea.

Speaking to Youngmisuk, Silver praised Green's efforts to better himself during and after the suspension.

"We wanted Draymond to address what he identified as underlying issues surrounding his conduct on the court," the commissioner said. "He committed wholeheartedly to that work, including counseling and regular check-ins with the league office and the players' association, which continued long after he was reinstated."

Green has made 33 appearances in 2024-25, averaging 8.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists.