As trade speculation lingers and scrutiny over his behaviour continues, Draymond Green offered an unusually account of the mental strain that has followed him throughout his career and resurfaced sharply this season.
Green described moments of exhaustion that date back to his early years in the league, long before his reputation for volatility became firmly established.
“Early in my career, a friend of mine came to my room, we were in LA… I was just sitting there staring at a wall. He’s like ‘What’s wrong with you?’ I’m like, I don’t know. I’m exhausted. You wanna go to the gym a little bit less… the walls start to close in on you a little bit more,” Green explained.
“These walls are closing in on me because after that Clipper game, I was beat up. Then after the game, I sprinted out because it just felt like it was in a casino or jail or something like the walls were just closing in on me.”
For a player who has long been the emotional engine of the Golden State Warriors, the honesty was striking. Green has built a career on intensity, confrontation, and edge, often leaning into chaos as a competitive advantage. Public vulnerability has rarely been part of that image.
A turbulent season under constant scrutiny
Green‘s comments arrive during another difficult campaign, one marked by disciplinary issues and uneven on-court production.
Against the Utah Jazz, he was ejected after receiving a double technical foul just 12 minutes into the game.
It was his ninth technical foul of the season, placing him closer to the automatic suspension that comes with 16, and the 22nd regular-season ejection of his career.
That incident was not isolated. On Dec. 22, Green left the bench early during a win over the Orlando Magic following a heated exchange with head coach Steve Kerr.
The moment quickly drew attention, reinforcing narratives that have followed Green for years.
On the court, the numbers have added to the conversation. Green is posting his lowest efficiency since 2021 while committing a career-high rate of turnovers.
Those struggles, combined with his age and contract situation, have kept trade rumours alive and intensified questions about his long-term future in Golden State.
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