Draymond Green reveals one of the toughest moments he has experienced with the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have built a dynasty in this century that will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. One of its pillars has been Draymond Green, and it’s hard to imagine that he once experienced one of the darkest moments of his career within the franchise—but that’s exactly what happened.

Draymond Green opened up about one of the lowest points of his professional life. Speaking with Boardroom, the Warriors veteran admitted that he had “zero interest in playing” during the 2019–20 season. It was the first year after Kevin Durant’s departure and a campaign marked by devastating injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

“One of the worst feelings I ever had was the year we sucked,” Green said. “It was right after KD left. Klay was hurt. Steph was hurt. We were awful. I had zero interest in playing.”

It was a humbling period for the Warriors, who went from five consecutive NBA Finals appearances to finishing with one of the league’s worst records. The sudden fall from dominance to mediocrity was jarring for a franchise used to winning.

Draymond Green during a Golden State Warriors game in 20219.

The Warriors’ total collapse

For Green, that season served as a sobering reminder of how quickly power can fade in the NBA—and how hard it can be to stay motivated when surrounded by inexperience.

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“We had just come off five straight NBA Finals,” Green added. “We were the best team in the world. Now, I’m out here with 10, maybe 11 guys who were out of the league within a year. No disrespect to them, but they weren’t Steph. They weren’t Klay. They weren’t KD. They weren’t Shaun Livingston. The competitiveness just wasn’t the same. And I was just going through the motions.”

Green has been instrumental in leading the Warriors through their most successful years. The 6-foot-6 forward captured his first NBA championship just three seasons into his career and has since earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s elite defenders and emotional leaders.

But that 2019–20 season represented a rare moment of irrelevance for Golden State. Without Durant, who left in free agency, or Thompson, who was rehabbing a torn ACL, the Warriors collapsed to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They finished with a 15–50 record—a staggering 42-win drop from the previous season—and for Draymond Green, it was an experience he’d never want to relive.