There is love lost between Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and his former teammate turned rival Klay Thompson of the Dallas Mavericks. But don’t get things twisted, Green will by no means lighten up on Thompson when the two face off in the first game of this year’s Emirates NBA Cup on Tuesday.
Warriors’ Draymond Green is hungry to beat Klay Thompson & his Mavericks on Tuesday
The Michigan State product recently sounded off on how he will approach the matchup on his eponymous “The Draymond Green Show” (h/t Bolavip’s Alejandro Lopez Vega):
“I’m going to run through his chest when we play him now. I wasn’t going to, but now I’m going to run through his chest,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. He also acknowledged Thompson’s competitive nature: “Obviously, we all love Klay, but to love Klay is to also know that he’s going to come in there and try to murder us.”
Green & Thompson led the Warriors to 4 NBA championships together
Green and Thompson played together for 12 seasons on the Warriors. They, along with Stephen Curry, turned Golden State from a struggling franchise into four-time champions in that span. Thompson served as the Warriors’ premier perimeter defender who often got the assignment to guard superstar rivals like LeBron James and James Harden, while Green established himself as a Defensive Player of the Year honoree in 2017.
Both players also saw eye to eye on the court. Green forged a harmonious relationship with the California native feeding him the ball at the three-point line. Nevertheless, despite that natural connection and their immense success shared together, both talents understand that it’s time to come for one another’s heads now that they are on opposing teams.
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Green will look to keep the Warriors well above .500 against the Mavs
Green’s feistiness is sure to come out against the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks, who serve as the primary threat to his Warriors reaching the Finals this year. Meanwhile, Thompson, who brings attitude to the floor as well, though not on his sleeve, will be liable to go off for one of his signature barrages from downtown, particularly should his teammates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving understand the moment and look to feed him the ball.
Thompson will bring his 14.2 points per game into the Tuesday night matchup for the Mavs (5-4), while Green will look to boost his 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists while keeping the Warriors (7-2) near the top of the Western Conference standings.
