Draymond Green is not shy about his history with rival-turned-Warriors-teammate Chris Paul.
Green and the Warriors have faced off against Paul many times throughout the past 11 seasons, and now the 38-year-old point guard is teaming up with Golden State's dynastic trio in search of his first NBA championship.
The Warriors forward joined Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley and co-host Adam Ferrone on the latest episode of "The Pat Bev Podcast," where he discussed his fiery history with Paul before the Warriors' blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards on June 22.
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"Me and Chris have had our differences over the course of my 11 years playing in this league since Year 1," Green said. "Chris is the way he is, I am the way I am. He's not changing who he is at this point, I'm not changing who I am at this point. And I think it's very important for people to understand that. Like the same sentiments I had about Chris, they don't just leave, and the same sentiments Chris had about me, they don't just leave."
Even though Green still holds negative feelings toward Paul, he understands that -- similar to himself in some ways -- that there is a reason he has been disliked by opposing teams over the years.
"It's funny, I was on the phone with coach Kerr the other day and he was just talking about what Chris brings to the team and I was telling him I think he really brings something to this team that we don't have, and the reality is ... Steve was like, 'Chris is a motherf--ker to bring in' and I said I agree, it's the reason we all hated him," Green shared. "When you're playing against him, he's going to do whatever he's got to do to beat you. And for that reason, we all hate him.
"Steve was like, 'Draymond, it's the very reason everybody hates you when they play against you.' Because you're willing to do whatever you have to do to win and 98 percent of people aren't like that. So with Chris, everybody's like, 'How are they supposed to be teammates now?' I'll tell you how: number one, I've never really been in a situation to build a relationship with him. I'm an adult; Chris is an adult. We can talk amongst men and that I look forward to. There's no sugarcoating what has happened all these years."
Golden State Warriors
Even though there is baggage that comes with Green and Paul's new working relationship, Green believes that Paul's professionalism and maturity can lead to harmony with a veteran roster that is hungry to once again prove themselves as championship contenders.
"I've publicly said I don't like Chris before, that's not going to change now that he's my teammate ... I've had my fair share of days not working with adults and people who don't move like adults, so I'm looking forward to going to work with an adult," Green explained. "Chris is a pro, I'm looking forward to going to work with a pro.
"He's super smart and he's shown to be a great leader. So what I look at is, that's somebody I have an opportunity to learn from and I'm excited about that. Now let's talk about the basketball side of it. What he brings to our team, it's Chris Paul. We've never had that."
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With another proven veteran joining the fray, Paul will look to build relationships with Green and the rest of his new teammates in pursuit of one common team goal: winning a championship.