GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 28, 2026

Draymond Green

Media Conference

Q. You mentioned the other day on your podcast that you weren't excited at all for the season. You then got excited I guess. Take me through your mindset. Why weren't you, and why are you getting excited?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Man, Year 6 and 7 of my career, we're on, like, Finals runs every year. You roll around July 4th and everybody, like, yeah, are you excited for the season? I'm, like, no, dude, we just finished a week and a half ago.

So speak of compartmentalization, what I learned is how to throw that out of my mind. Like, I had to teach myself because I don't think people realize how much anxiety the season brings you, but it brings a crazy amount of anxiety. So when you come up to me two weeks after we just finished a Finals run, are you excited to do this again next season? It's like the absolute last thing I need to hear.

In turn, throughout the course of my career, what I did was I taught myself, like, I don't need to mentally be ready for the season until it gets here. I don't need that anxiety building in July of, like, man. So I conditioned myself to be that way. I always tell people, they come to me, like, are you excited? I'm, like, no, I'm not, but the day the season get here, I will be, and that's kind of where I was at last week.

You know, a week away from the season, it's like I'm trying to save my mental for this last week. You know, then you get around the team, and it gets real fast. That's when I kind of lost my ability to compartmentalize my excitement, so that's what it was.

I know you wanted me to be, like, oh, man, you know, we ain't making no moves or somehow. It's just the way my mind works. I have to trick myself into things, so that's it.

Q. You seem to like what you've seen from Yaxel so far. Obviously what he can do, what you can do, and what Steph can do is going to be kind of crucial for you guys the first half of the season. What do you visualize the three of you being able to do together?

DRAYMOND GREEN: We had a very nice play. It looked like we had been playing together for a long time. An out-of-bounds play, somebody threw me the ball. Steph back-picked it. He didn't know he should go off. He went off, boom, dunk. Steph, like, yo, see that, because that's going to happen a lot. It was a good little mix-up of things.

Needless to say, he's going to be -- obviously we know what Steph does, myself, but he's going to be important, and I think from what I've seen already, I think my role for him will be to make sure he's always aggressive.

You know, he's one of those guys that has the skill set to do certain things, but the way you see the game could affect that negatively. Meaning I can just go get a bucket, but I'm watching this play out, so let me try to make this play. It's, like, no, the right play is actually for you to probably go get the bucket.

So I think for me with Yaxel will be staying on him about the aggression. At all times you should be downhill trying to get to the rim. Like, there will be a time in his career where, you know, you may become, like, the playmaker, but I don't know if everybody is going to need him making plays for them his rookie year. You need to have the play made for you, and not necessarily made for you because he can make the play himself, but let guys be making the play for you and you're going to score.

So I think that will be the role, but I was really impressed. It's kind of the first time -- as you know, he went to a shit school. It was kind of, you know, my first time really watching him from a standpoint of, you know, like caring to watch him. When he was at that bum school, I didn't care to watch him. Playing against Michigan State, I actually hope you miss every shot.

So I'm not really watching from a standpoint of, like, yo, how good is he? I'm watching and hoping he fails. That changed now obviously, and he is really good. I actually hate to say it because that mean he was really good last year at Michigan. Who wants that, right? But I was -- man, I was very, very, very impressed. I think, man, yeah, I was shocked.

Michigan guys usually aren't that good. Last one was Chris Webber (laughing). So long ago. So I was shocked.

Q. Your three-point metrics kind of varied depends on where you take them, but the right corner three has been really good for you. Have you been able to figure out why that one is so much better than the others?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Man, I wish I knew, but I just think some places on the court you're just more comfortable in. I'm just a little more comfortable on the right side, right corner.

Then also our bench is in the right corner, so it's a little more motivation because I'm the opposite of most people. You know, most people you're in the corner by your bench guys, like, yeah, you're going to make it. My whole team is, like, oh, it's off (laughing). When I'm in front of them, you're like, yeah -- it's a little, you know? It started with Luke Walton. It used to be me and a Luke Walton thing. Some things stick.

At that right corner it's a little dangerous. These guys behind me be talking. They my guys, but they be talking, so it was fine.

I don't know, though. It's just a comfort thing I guess.

Q. Draymond, for so many years here the standard was a title, and obviously walking into this year it's a little bit different given where the roster is at, waiting on Jimmy and Moses, et cetera. How do you define what is a good year for you guys this year?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I think you feel that on a daily basis. You know, you don't get to the -- whether you win a championship or not, you don't get to the end and be, like, oh, man, that was a great year. Like, you know throughout the process that you had a great process.

So ultimately for us each and every day we walk in here, we must be on a trajectory of putting together a great project, and if you put together a great project, when you get to the end of it, regardless of what the result is, you feel some sense of accomplishment.

You know, it's like if I do this great project at school and I put my all into it and I know I did my absolute best and it comes back and it's, like, man, you got a B-minus. You're, like, I know I put my all into that. You may be a little upset that you got a B-minus, but you're not going to go back and be, like, I feel bad about the work I did because you already feel great about it. You knew along the way and putting this project together how much you gave to this project.

So I think a basketball season is a lot like that. You know, you don't get to the end of the season and determine, oh, man, that was good, that was bad. You know along the way.

When you're a bad team, you know in December that your process is not great. It didn't take you to get to April to realize your process wasn't great. I think for us it's ultimately putting together a great process every single day because if you do that, you give yourself a chance. All anybody ever want in this league is a chance.

Your process must be the right way, and I think for us that's what it is. We never got to an end of the year and won a championship and was, like, oh, that was great because we won a championship. No, it was great because I enjoyed the journey, and it's great because we overcame this thing and remember when this happened and we had to do this to get -- that's what makes it great.

So for us, put together a great process and then you get to the end, and you let the cards fall where they may.

I hate to be cliche, but in 2022 nobody walked into that season like, hey, here's the beginning of a championship year. Our process was great, which then allowed us to grow over the season and become a championship team. Not saying this is 2022 or this is that team. I'm just saying in general that's one for sure where no one walked in saying, you're going to win a championship and then we did.

So just putting together a great process.

Q. Draymond, Steve talked about you maybe playing a little bit more on the perimeter on offense. For you are you excited, kind of nervous? How do you feel about playing a new role at this point in your career?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I am shaking in my boots. No, I feel like I've always kind of been on the perimeter. I go to the block and run some split cuts and stuff, but I feel like I've always been on the perimeter.

But, you know, I think I'll have to see what that looks like, right? You always come into camp with this idea of things are going to go like this, and that's for players and coaches. Man, I thought that was D-Mar. Holy shit. Wow. That is crazy. What was I saying?

Q. Playing on the perimeter.

DRAYMOND GREEN: Oh, yeah. I think, you come into the season with, like, how you think it's going to go. Honestly, unless you're Steph Curry, it never really truly goes that way. You kind of have to figure out what's best. You kind of have to figure out where you fit in at.

I think this season is no different. So, you know, I know we're going to run some different things offensively. Now, that doesn't mean we're going to completely can who we've been, right? There will still be some elements that like that as far as what we've been doing that will be the same, but for everything that's different, you just got to make the adjustment.

So I'm excited. When you get new challenges, you know, it's fun figuring them out, and it makes it interesting. You know, you keep doing the same thing over and over, it can get a little mundane. So I'm excited to see what it all actually means.

Q. What's your impression been of Frank Vogel, and what's he like to work with?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I like Frank. He's intense and energetic. I think he's brought an energy to the group that I think will ultimately be beneficial for both of us, but a very smart, defensive-minded guy who I look forward to collaborating with for sure.

Q. Draymond, it's pretty clear with Jimmy and Moses out that a lot of this is going to ride on you and how much you play, whatever success you have. What does that feel like at this stage of your career knowing that, like, it's still on your shoulders, and you're on a one-year deal? What is this like for you?

DRAYMOND GREEN: It's exciting. You know, to know you're going into year 15 and what you do matters to the outcome of team, season, it's exciting. You always want that challenge.

That's a lie. There are guys who don't really want the challenge and kind of just want to -- but that's no fun. I've been golfing a lot, right? I was golfing with my boy the other day, and he was, like, well, you know, on this hole you probably should just lay up right there and then -- I'm, like, dude, I'm going for it every time. I'm not laying up anything. I didn't come out here to lay up here and go -- no, I'm going for it. I'm trying to go over that tree, and I'm trying to go the distance.

It hit the tree, and it falls, but who cares, right? Like, I went for it. That's basketball. I don't want to come into the season and be, like, what I do don't matter. No, if I play good, it don't matter. If I play bad, it don't. You want that. You prepare for that. That's the thing that brings the adrenaline. That's the thing that you're always pushing for.

So I'm excited that in year 15 I still have that opportunity and ability to affect something negatively or positively. So I'm looking forward for that.

Q. To follow up on that, you were pretty open with us on the deadline about the uncertainty now playing on an expiring deal. Given how much this franchise means to you and how much you mean to it, how do you want this chapter of your career to unfold?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I just want to play well and try to have a good year as a team. It's not something I'm worried about. I went through last year, like, man, what does that look like? I honestly don't care. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I am boots on the ground trying to enjoy every second because you just don't know how many you have.

Yeah, I have zero care for, like, what happens with my contract or what happens after this year. I did that last year. I'm never doing that again. It's a complete waste of my energy and time because you have no control over it.

Yeah, I'm on the one-year deal. I've been here for now 15 years. It's been great. We'll see what happens. But I don't really think too much of it, honestly.

Q. Were you at all surprised Steph took less than the max says?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Yeah, he never has. So shout-out to Steph. No, I'm not surprised, though. He is a guy who he's spoke very candidly about wanting to be on a team that has a chance to compete, and I think those actions back that up.

Q. I asked him if maybe some of this is beyond what else they can get, maybe divert some money to keeping some players, who have been with him for a long time, and probably looking at the number one. Take yourself out if you can, but do you feel like this is part of a gesture of Steph saying, hey, let's make sure we keep some of these guys?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I don't know. I mean, you have to ask Steph. I would have complete egg on my face if I was, like, yeah, he did that for me. No, he didn't.

Q. He said "for sure" --

DRAYMOND GREEN: No, but I think there's no secret we both want to end here. Both want to kind of finish off what we started here. So I appreciate that, but at the end of the day, there are so many things that has to, you know, kind of work itself out.

I don't like to put myself in that mindset of, like, oh, this was done for me, because what if it didn't work out? Then you get people who get in their feelings and they're mad at this guy and I never want to be that guy. I don't even allow my mind to kind of go there because once your mind go into a place, you no longer -- I mean, everybody likes to think they got full control of their mind, and maybe y'all are a lot better than me and do have full control of your mind. I'll be honest with you, I don't. So I tend to not let my mind creep to certain places because I don't want the feelings that could possibly come with that.

All of a sudden you're feeling like, oh, man, this was done for me, and then it don't play out that way. Now you're, like, oh, I'm pissed at them, I'm pissed at him. No, I don't really roll like that. I like to take things as they are, as they play out.

But, you know, I'm appreciative of being on a team to see him, like -- I don't think there's a person in the world that would have been, like, yo, he took the full max, what the hell are you doing? Like, no, everybody in the world would be, like, yeah, of course, he took the max.

For someone that takes the floor with him, that has been in this organization to see him sacrifice in that way, everybody is, like, oh, man, he's made this amount of money, it's only $20 million. "Only $20 million" is crazy to say. I don't care whose money it is. Only $20 million is insane.

So very appreciative to see him willing to make sacrifice to put everybody in a better position, but I'm not surprised because that's what leaders do. He is one of the best leaders I've ever been around.

Q. What's the punishment for Steve Kerr, said you got to cut out turnovers. You and Steph get six total. How do you enforce that for two legends?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I think you enforce it the same way you've done everything else. You know those guys are in the foxhole with you. You know we're on the same page, and we want the same thing that you want, and then most importantly, you know that trust that we have in him. If he's saying it, it need to be done. He's not going to call us out and we are going to be, like, we're legends, you can't say that to us. No, he can say anything to us. We need to figure it out. So we will. It will be interesting, though (laughing).