Draymond Green has long been one of the cornerstones of the Golden State Warriors dynasty that revolutionized the sport and won four championships over nearly a decade. As the team’s primary playmaker and best defender, his role was invaluable.
However, he also adopted the enforcer gimmick, ensuring the roster had a level of toughness and intensity. With that stereotype, he was more aggressive than the average player, doing his best to get under the opposition’s skin. As a result, when he calls someone the most mentally tough player, that honor holds a certain distinction.
Draymond Green Gives Unique Honor to 3-Time MVP
A second-round pick in 2012, Green has established himself as a Hall of Famer. But the caveat of his aggression is a bullet that the Warriors have had to bite. It’s gotten him suspended on multiple occasions, with extended absences also coming into play.
In his career, he has already accumulated 174 technical fouls and 22 ejections. But for all of his intensity, he remains one of the most respected players in the league, especially when it comes to his voice.
During the latest episode of the “Draymond Green Show,” he discussed mentally tough players. And for him, the choice was rather obvious: Nikola Jokić was currently at the top of the list.
“There is nothing that really gets under his skin. There’s nothing that bothers him. If he’s missing shots, he’s going to keep playing. You never see him. You know, Joker kind of runs like this anyway. So, you know, his shoulders are always slumped, but you don’t never see him like in a defeated slump. Like he’s just always going to keep going.”
This, coming on the heels of a heated exchange between the Serbian superstar and Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder, seems like a direct response from the former Defensive Player of the Year.
After Dort tried to trip him running up the court, Jokić lashed out almost immediately. With 54 technical fouls in his career against him, the referees took a pause as well, going back to review the situation before ejecting the Thunder defender.
One of the best players of this generation, Jokić has won three MVPs in his career while also leading the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA title in franchise history. Over the years, he’s become a more complete player, thanks to his three-level versatility.
After averaging a triple-double last season, Jokić is once again on pace to meet that mark. At 28.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.5 assists, his numbers seem impossibly great, but he’s doing it all extremely efficiently, while leading the Nuggets to a top-five seed.
Signed to a five-year deal worth $276,122,630, Jokić is more than proving to be worth the cost of investment for the team. If he keeps up this pace, he’s going to be the first player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and assists simultaneously.
