Draymond Green reflected on one of the lowest points of his career, revealing he lost motivation to play during the 2019–20 season after the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty unraveled.
Speaking on Boardroom with Rich Kleiman, Green recalled how difficult it was to transition from five consecutive NBA Finals appearances to one of the league’s worst records. “One of the worst feelings I ever had was the year we sucked,” Green said, via HoopsHype. “It was right after KD left. Klay was hurt. Steph was hurt. We were awful. I had zero interest in playing.”
That season marked a stark fall for Golden State. The team, who had dominated the league from 2015 to 2019, finished with a 15–50 record, the worst in the NBA. With Stephen Curry limited to just five games due to a hand injury and Klay Thompson sidelined after tearing his ACL in the 2019 Finals, Green became one of the few remaining veterans in a lineup filled with young and unproven players.
“We had just come off five straight NBA Finals. Five!” Green said. “We were the best team in the world. And now… I’m out here with 10, maybe 11 guys who were out of the league within a year. No disrespect to them, but they weren’t Steph. They weren’t Klay. They weren’t KD. They weren’t Sean Livingston.”
Green admitted that the drastic drop in competitiveness affected his mindset and energy. “The competitiveness just wasn’t the same,” he continued. “And I was just going through the motions. I remember being on the floor and hearing guys say stuff like, ‘Yeah, you old now — you can’t do it no more.’”
The 2019–20 season turned into a reset year for the Warriors. The team prioritized player development while dealing with injuries to its stars. Golden State later used its poor record to secure the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, selecting James Wiseman — a move that symbolized the beginning of their retooling process.
