Getty Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green reacts during a game against the Miami Heat.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and longtime Dubs nemesis LeBron James have had more than their share of battles over the last decade. And some of those battles are the stuff of legend.
The former’s backhand swat to James’ groin area during Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals continues to live in infamy.
Over the years, though, the two stars have developed an incredible level of mutual respect on the court and a personal relationship off of it. So, when James passed Hall of Famer Karl Malone to become the second-leading scorer in league history recently, Green was there to give him his roses.
Moreover, he promised to play hooky from the Warriors, if necessary, in order to witness LeBron’s move into the top spot when it finally happens.
“Probably in 50 more games or so — 50 to 70 games or so — he’ll be first all-time. And I can’t wait to see that,” Green assessed on the March 24 episode of his podcast. “Steve Kerr, I’m throwing this out there right now. If LeBron James is passing the all-time scoring record and we have a game, I’m going to LeBron’s game and witness history. So, that’s what we doing, Coach Kerr.”
Green Amazed by LeBron’s Ascent to No. 2
In addition to RSVPing for LeBron’s record-breaking game, Green made a point to recognize how incredible of an accomplishment it was for the Lakers star to move past the Mailman.
“We gotta talk about one of the GOATs, my big brother, LeBron James, passing Karl Malone on the scoring list for No. 2 all-time. Absolutely insane,” the four-time All-Star declared.
For Green, the most impressive aspect of James’ scoring milestone is the fact that some fans and hoops pundits will still call out other aspects of the baller’s game as his defining attributes (ahead of putting up points).
“You know why it’s so insane? Because no one even considers LeBron James a scorer,” he said. “That’s what I think is extremely impressive is… this guy isn’t even considered a scorer, yet he’s sitting at No. 2 all-time and it’s only a matter of time before he passes Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar].”
He added: “I take my hat off to that brother as someone who’s had battles with him, who’s played in the Finals against him and really understands his process and what he does and how hard it is to beat him and how incredible he is.”
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On the ‘GOAT’ Debate
Green was asked by his producer whether James getting to No. 1 on the career points list will cement his “GOAT” status. In response, the big man repeated his long-standing take that both LeBron and Michael Jordan are worthy of that particular label.
As Green sees it, there’s really no good way to determine which player should be placed into a spot above the other.
“Everyone talks about when LeBron passes Kareem, does that make him the GOAT,” he said. “I don’t think him becoming the No. 1 scorer makes him any more of the GOAT than he already is.
“What I don’t like to get into is, like, ‘Oh, is LeBron the GOAT over Michael Jordan?’ No — LeBron is a GOAT and Michael Jordan’s a GOAT. And they’re both incredible and they’ve never played against each other. So, how can we ever settle that?”
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