Draymond Green Talks Mindset Heading Into NBA Finals: 'I Am the Best Ever at What I Do'

Green believes it's his job to have the mindset that he is "the best ever."

Nearly two weeks have passed days since Draymond Green called himself the best defender to ever play in the NBA, and as the Warriors forward prepares for this year's NBA Finals, Green is doubling down on that claim.

Speaking to reporters during the Warriors' media availability on Wednesday, Green explained why he thinks of himself so highly, emphasizing that his mindset sets him apart from others.

“As a competitor, if you are trying to do something meaningful, if you don’t have the mindset that you are the best ever, you have failed already,” Green said. “So if you don’t have the mindset that you are the best reporter ever, then you’ve already failed. That’s been my mindset since I can remember, that will be my mindset as long as I can remember anything. That I am the best ever at what I do. Every day that I step on the basketball floor, I will strive to be that, but my mindset will always be as such as I am the best to do what I do. That’ll get me a shot at being the best.”

Be great. pic.twitter.com/8jynkhUWNz

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 29, 2019

“As a competitor, if you’re trying to do something meaningful, if you don’t have the mindset you’re the best ever—you’ve failed already."

(via @957thegame) pic.twitter.com/ye3TLZMTmc

— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) May 29, 2019

Green continued to discuss what it takes to be great, adding that believing in that fact is the first step.

"Before you can even reach anything, you have to believe it. You don’t just mistakenly become great at something,” Green said. “You probably at one time or another believed that you could be great at that, and then you work to be great at that, and you reach that greatness. But you don’t mistakenly become great. And then you start to believe, ‘Oh man, I’m great at that.’ Nah, you believed that before, and you worked to get that, so I always believe that, and I work every day to reach that.”

Green was voted as the 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and has made the All-Defensive team five teams. He and the Warriors are playing in their fifth-straight finals and are looking to capture the team's third consecutive title.

Game 1 between the Warriors and Raptors will tip off Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.