Draymond Green: 'I've Learned My Lesson' On Outbursts
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Even though it annoys him, it is a question that still haunts Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
So his reaction was both thoughtful and filled with a touch of anger Sunday when he was asked after the Warriors 132-113 NBA Finals Game 2 win about his simmering emotions.
Just how he has been able to keep his trademark emotional play in check so far during the team's 14-0 playoff run.
"You act like I'm just this troubled guy who's in a bunch of trouble and can't control myself," he said to the Bay Area News Group's Mark Purdy.
At which point teammate Kevin Durant jumped to his defense.
"You waiting for him to go over the line?" Durant said to Purdy.
"I've just been playing basketball, brother," Green said. "When you got great teammates like I do who allow me to play with my emotions and allow me to be emotional when I'm talking to them. To use my emotions to the better for us, it's easy (to stay under control)."
"I'm just trying to lead this team as much as I can and in the ways that I do for this team. I'm not worried about the officials and all that. I think that at the end of the day everyone talks to officials. I talk to them. But going over the edge isn't going to win me a championship."
"I think I'm a pretty smart guy and I learned my lesson. I went over the edge before – fool me once, you can't fool me twice."
Green is referring to being baited into an outburst by Cavs star LeBron James last year in Game 4 of the Finals.
The Warriors star's play boiled over into several technical and fragrant fouls during last year's playoff run.
The breaking point came in a Game 4 confrontation with James ended with his suspension for Game 5.
The Warriors were up 3-1 and on the brink of defending their NBA title, but they lost momentum with Green's suspension and lost three straight games and their crown to the Cavs.
