Draymond Green does not want a farewell tour upon retirement
Whether they like it or not, if an NBA star announces that he will retire at the end of the season, he will likely get a farewell tour from fans across the league as a commemoration of the player’s legacy.
Depending on who you ask, Draymond Green may not be considered a “star,” but he will forever be known as arguably the best, most versatile defender at his position. He helped buoy the Warriors to four NBA Titles in eight seasons, regardless of his on-court antics that have cost his team myriad regular season games throughout his career.
Though, when asked by 19-year NBA veteran and 10-time All-Star Paul Pierce on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” he said he will not announce when it’s his last year nor does he want a farewell tour.
“I can’t (have a farewell tour),” Green said while laughing. “Somebody’s going to do me like I said to you and then I’m f–ked.”
“I’m coming to them games and imma yell the same thing you yelled to me,” Pierce said jokingly. “Please announce your last year.”
During Pierce’s last season in 2016-17, Green, one of the league’s top trash talkers, got caught trash-talking Pierce, who was sitting on the bench, regarding his farewell tour. The comment was picked up by the court’s microphones and the TNT broadcast.
“Chasing that farewell tour, they don’t love you like that!” Green said at the time. “They ain’t giving you no farewell tour, they don’t love you like that … you thought you was Kobe [Bryant]!”
Green, in his 12th NBA season, has appeared in 38 games with the Warriors this season, averaging 9.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from 3-point range and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Since coming back from suspension, where he missed 15 games (12 due to suspension), Green is shooting 44.0 percent from distance while racking up 8.1 boards, 6.1 assists, one steal and 1.1 blocks per contest. The Warriors got blasted by the Boston Celtics Sunday, but they are still 14-5 over their last 19 games with the NBA’s sixth-best NET Rating (plus-6.6) over that span.
He commented that he would likely play just two or three more seasons in the NBA, but specified one scenario where he would announce it was his last year.
“The only chance, the only chance my last year is announced [is] if that last year happens to coincide with [Steph Curry’s] last year, [Klay Thompson’s] last year,” Green said. “And if that’s my last year? That’s my only chance that it gets announced. Because then I could ride Steph’s coattail on his farewell tour and act like it’s mine.”
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