The NBA playoffs are finally here, with fans no doubt hoping for a slew of thrilling, edge-of-your-seat matchups involving big-name teams like the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers star LeBron James, who has long wowed fans with his epic postseason duels against Steph Curry and the Warriors, could very well face his familiar foe later on in the playoffs.
If and when that time comes, tensions will surely rise. But for now, there’s nothing but love between James and the Dubs, with the 40-year-old recently giving a huge compliment to one particular Warriors player who has been integral to the franchise’s sustained success.
I think who’s mastered [versatility] over the last 10 years is Golden State. And the main reason is because of Draymond Green,” James said on the Mind the Game podcast (around the 35:50 mark in the video below).
James went on to give a specific anecdote of when he knew Green would be a problem on the Warriors. During the 2015 NBA Finals, James’s Cleveland Cavaliers were up 2–1 in the series against Golden State until the Warriors made a lineup change, moving Green into the center position instead of their usual bigs, Andrew Bogut and David Lee.
The Warriors would win the next three games to clinch their first NBA championship of the Curry/Thompson/Green era, the first chapter of their years-long dynasty.
Fast forward a decade later, and the Warriors once again look like a dangerous team in the postseason with the likes of Curry and Green—alongside savvy midseason trade pick-up Jimmy Butler—hoping to win another one for old times’ sake. The Warriors currently lead the Houston Rockets 1–0 in their first-round playoff series.
And still to this day, the versatility that Draymond allows Steve [Kerr] and that franchise to have, it makes them who they are,” continued James. “And obviously we know Steph does, you know, Steph gon’ do what Steph does. And I think that’s what the game of basketball is, to be able to have that versatility, to be able to have six, seven guys that can play big or be able to switch out on guards.
But, James can’t complain too much about his current situation in L.A. playing with five-time All-Star Luka Doncic. The Lakers will look to even their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
