Draymond Green has suggested that LeBron James should have joined the Golden State Warriors this summer. James became a free agent for the first time in eight years after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 41-year-old considered the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors before eventually settling on the Philadelphia 76ers. James will now play alongside Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey in the City of Brotherly Love for at least one season.
Most fans are excited to watch the 76ers’ star-studded roster, but Green wishes James had signed with the Warriors. Green revealed what he told the former Lakers star to convince him to join Golden State and the deciding factor that ultimately led James to turn them down.
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Draymond Green explains why LeBron James should have joined the Warriors
Draymond Green told Marc Spears that he tried to convince LeBron James to join the Golden State Warriors for the final chapter of his NBA career. He mentioned playing with Stephen Curry, business opportunities, and golf as part of his pitch to the greatest player of his generation.
“I told him all the great things,” Green explained to Andscape. “How cool would it be for him to join Steph, who’s pretty much carried the NBA for the better part of the last 15 years — Bron a little longer, but they are the guys. And how cool would it be to [challenge] these young guys who are kind of taking over? Their time is up now, to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and all these [young] guys. How cool would it be for the two guys who’ve battled on the biggest stage for so many years in the NBA — who now see these younger guys taking over — just for one time to say, ‘Hey, fellas, we can still do this. Yeah, move over’? How dope would that be?
“Everybody speaks about the basketball side. Most people don’t understand how important it is to have teammates that you rock with at this age; teammates that are like-minded. Teammates that have similar lives. Teammates that when you go to dinner, you want to go to dinner and sit with. As you get older in this league, that becomes a weird thing. We’ll have that. This will be the greatest show on Earth, by the way. Stephen and LeBron together?
“How much has [James] gotten into golf? There’s no better place to be for golf than San Francisco. I also thought from a business standpoint, there’s a whole business side of business that he hasn’t tapped into [in Silicon Valley]. From a business standpoint, what can that mean? I know for sure this would be the best organization you’ve ever played in. I know that for certain.”
Green then claimed that James rejected the Warriors for one key reason: the potential damage to his reputation. The four-time champion would have faced heavy criticism for joining a team he had competed against in four NBA Finals.
He added: “He just couldn’t get over the past, which is, ‘I battled these guys over and over again. What is that now going to look like for me if I come there? What type of beating am I going to take if I come there?’ And ultimately that’s why it didn’t happen. I also think that’s why it took so long to make the decision, because I know this (Golden State) was the right decision. He just couldn’t land on it.”
The Warriors would have been an exciting team with Curry, James, Green and Jimmy Butler. However, Golden State now faces the challenge of competing without the 76ers star, with the team’s championship prospects depending heavily on its remaining core.
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