Draymond Green states Kings ‘gained my respect’ in 2023 playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The word “rivalry” is a term Draymond Green and the Warriors don’t like to use loosely.
Despite all the beef between Golden State and the Memphis Grizzlies both on and off the court, Green doesn’t believe it’s a rivalry.
But after the Warriors’ first playoff meeting with their Northern California neighbors in Sacramento in the opening round of the 2023 Western Conference playoffs, Green doesn’t have an issue labeling future matchups with the Kings a rivalry.
“The reason I’m cool with that word being used is because there is a NorCal thing there,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Zena Keita on the latest “Dubs Talk” podcast. “The Bay and Sacramento being so close, so different yet so similar. You have areas along the way that could kind of pick the Bay and could kind of pick Sacramento, where their [fandom] would go.
“So taking all of those things into account, then you add in [Kings owner] Vivek [Ranadivé], who was a minority owner here before he outright bought the Kings. [Kings coach] Mike [Brown]. Mike B has won championships with us. You start adding those things to it and it becomes all the more special. So that one I would not say what I would say about most people when they say ‘rivals.’ That’s actually a thing that’s bigger than basketball.”
The Warriors finished the 2022-23 regular season with the No. 6 seed, earning a first-round meeting with the upstart Kings, who finished with the No. 3 seed and snapped a historic 17-year playoff drought.
It was the first time in NBA history that the two teams met in the postseason, and the seven-game series did not disappoint. The “playoff rookies” stunned the basketball world when they took an early 2-0 series lead over the then-defending champion Warriors.
Golden State won the next three games, and after an impressive response from the Kings while facing elimination in Game 6, Steph Curry crossed the Warriors past the finish line in Game 7.
Even though the Kings had an early playoff exit, Green was impressed with what he witnessed up close and is confident…
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