Charles Barkley has praised Draymond Green, but warned the veteran star to keep himself out of trouble. “It’s great to have Draymond back, great to have him back. He’s a very good player, he’s good for the NBA. I hope he gets rid of the antics because he’s a very good player and a good dude, but like I said, he’s got to stop putting himself in bad situations,” Barkley told TMZ.
Green himself said he was done with “antics” as he prepared to return to the Warriors after his 12-game suspension. “I’ve cost my team enough. I’ve cost this organization enough,” Green said Tuesday. After three-and-a-half weeks of therapy, Green acknowledged that has been able to see where he went wrong. “It was very easy to open myself up [to therapy] from a personal standpoint because I needed to gather myself, to recenter myself and to recalibrate. It’s hard to see things when you’re just in it, it’s hard to see what’s necessary to see,” Green said.
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Warriors Hoping That Draymond Green Has Changed
However, it’s not just Barkley who is hoping that Green keeps himself out of trouble. The Warriors are hoping that Green will keep his nose clean after being suspended twice in the first month-and-a-half of the season. “I’m just open-minded. He’s still obviously a huge part of this thing and a huge part of our leadership. He is going to reassume that mantle. But he needs the awareness that comes with what he’s just gone through and what he has put the team through, as well,” head coach Steve Kerr said. However, he also noted that Green was now operating under a “no buts” system of accountability.
Additionally, despite his return, Green revealed that retirement was a very possibility for him. “I told him, ‘Adam this is too much for me,’” Green said on his podcast, referring to Commissioner Adam Silver. However, he said that Silver talked him out of what the commissioner called a “rash decision”. Furthermore, Green praised Silver for his leadership. “[I’m] thankful for playing in a league with a commissioner like Adam who’s more about helping you than hurting you,” Green said.
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