Draymond Green Talks 'Captivating' Pursuit of Historic 10th NBA All-Defense Selection

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is known for his fiery play on the court, but he's ignited even further by the chance to make history.

The Athletic's Sam Amick detailed an instance in which Green was told by longtime Warriors media relations man, Raymond Ridder, late last season that he can join Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Scottie Pippen as the only players ever to be named to 10 NBA All-Defensive teams. Green went on to earn his ninth career selection at the end of the year, and he's driven to join that group before it's all said and done.

"You see a list like that, and that immediately becomes your 'why,'" Green told Amick. "It's like, 'Man, I need to give all that I f—ing can to be on that thing.' When you look at a list like that and you say, 'Man, I can be on that list.' It's captivating. If I'm honest, it consumes you.

"You're always looking to add these stamps (of approval)," he continued. "And I think for me personally, that's one stamp that I would love to add, for no other reason than the little kid from Saginaw being able to one day look at that list and say, 'Damn, my name is on the list with those guys.' …So that's a huge, huge, huge goal of mine."

In his 14th season, Green hasn't lost a step. However, there are rising young defensive stars who could make it harder for him to earn a first- or second-team selection, such as San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Still, Green has never been short on motivation, so he won't let a little competition stop him from chasing his goal.

"My body feels better and better every year," he said. "I've learned more about my body and what I need to do. I still enjoy competing at the highest level. I still enjoy setting this goal and then going through the process and trying to reach it."