OAKLAND, Calif. – Draymond Green had played five preseason games in the NBA, and still the 35th pick in the 2012 NBA draft had come to loathe the listlessness of a Golden State Warriors practice. Inside a gymnasium in Portland, Green targeted teammates – including high-earning veterans – and forcefully, loudly challenged everyone.
The older players were stunned, wondering, “Who the hell is this guy?” As one witness remembers, though: “The older guys weren’t happy, but they were definitely too scared to say anything back.