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Draymond admits to intentionally creating ‘rift’ between CP3, Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
As any basketball fan knows, Warriors forward Draymond Green is one of the NBA’s most unique characters.
So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Green has implemented some unusual motivation strategies within the Golden State locker room.
That includes his recent admission to creating a “rift” between teammates Steph Curry and Chris Paul in the past, as Green explained on Friday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show.”
In an interview with co-host Baron Davis and Warriors teammate Moses Moody, the conversation shifted to the hyper-competitive mentality of rival NBA players. Moody then drew parallels to the relationship between Green and Paul, who went from longtime Western Conference adversaries to colleagues in Golden State for the 2023-24 NBA season.
“I hated CP, man. And not only did I hate him, but we were always battling,” Green explained. “You got to think, CP is right at the heart of everything we were trying to accomplish. He was the top dog at point guard.
“So I come in, and I’m watching him and Steph’s relationship, and I’m like, that ain’t going to work for us to be who we want to be — [Paul] being kind of your big bro.”
Curry worked out with Paul during the summer of 2009, months after Golden State drafted him No. 7 overall. Paul, a four-year NBA veteran when Curry was drafted, imparted crucial wisdom that aided the Warriors superstar’s meteoric rise to stardom.
“He was a great mentor when it came to understanding how a guy on his level prepared over the summer for an NBA season,” Curry told ESPN in 2018. “How disciplined he was, his work ethic, and I got to see that firsthand after summer league through the beginning of the season. And obviously, we got a Carolina connection.”
It appears as though Green was concerned with Curry deferring to Paul because of the respect held between the two star guards.
“So I started being messy in between and creating a rift because I’m like, I need this rift in order for us to be able to move ahead,” Green continued. “They were super tight. I started intentionally creating a rift, because I felt like CP was using that to his advantage. And then, as I’m creating a rift with them, me and CP [clashed], and under no circumstances do I even want to correct it.”
Meanwhile, Golden State declined to pick up Paul’s 2024 team option, ending the veteran’s short-lived tenure in the Bay Area.