Amid Klay Thompson Tributes, Draymond Green Doesn't See Himself in Same Category

Mike McDaniel | Jul 3, 2024

Nov 30, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11), guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23) after the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Longtime Warriors star Klay Thompson landed in Dallas on a three-year, $50 million deal as part of a three-team sign-and-trade agreement with the Charlotte Hornets that ended the core championship era in Golden State earlier this week.

As Thompson departs on the next step in his basketball journey, Warriors stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green had nothing but appreciation for their time with Thompson over the last 13 years that produced four NBA titles and six appearances in the NBA Finals.

Curry posted a heartfelt message to Thompson on his Instagram on Tuesday, and Green couldn't help but be blown away by even being mentioned in the same conversation as the "Splash Brothers" who shaped the three-point era and championship culture with the Warriors.

"When I was going through Steph's [Instagram] story, I went through it a couple of times," Green said on The Draymond Green Show. "It was just like...it was crazy to me how many of the pictures that he posted that I was also in. And so seeing that was like, man. It just kinda takes me back to the beginning though like when it all started and none of us really knew that it would end up being this, what it became. It was very interesting to see, like I said, how many of those I was in because I don't put myself in the same category with them two."

"Them two for me, are like here," Green gestured high with his hands. "Like out of the frame. They're here. And I think for me personally, like the way I view my role in this is always like, I always had them two's back and I'll look out for them two no matter what. Nobody can touch them two. They can do no wrong. I'll go to battle for them. I'll take the fall for them. Whatever that needs to be, may be, I'm doing that."

You can watch his comments below starting at the 5:32 mark.

Now without Thompson, Curry and Green will move on with the Warriors for the final chapter of their careers. As they try to climb the mountaintop again, they'll do so without Thompson, which is undoubtedly bittersweet for all involved.