How Green changed his plans after Kerr’s Warriors pitch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Phone calls from Steph Curry and Draymond Green sealed the deal in making free agent Donte DiVincenzo a Warrior in early July. When it comes to JaMychal Green, Golden State’s latest addition who officially signed a one-year veteran’s minimum contract on Monday, coach Steve Kerr took the lead in phone call duties.
Green was in the plunge pool at a resort in Jamaica enjoying the offseason when his phone rang. Although he was in full-on chill mode, the veteran forward knew there was still business to be had and kept his phone with him at all times and with the ringer turned up all the way. Green didn’t know the number, answered anyways and sure is happy he did.
So are the Warriors. Kerr was on the other side of the call.
After getting to his room and drying off, the two immediately hit it off. Green was traded by the Denver Nuggets to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the night of this year’s NBA draft. That made him an instant buyout candidate for contenders.
Once Green and Kerr struck up a conversation, his future changed forever.
“After talking with him, I just couldn’t tell him no,” Green said Monday during his introductory press conference as a Warrior. “With the organization and what they built over, I just felt that I’d love to be a part of it.”
Before that talk, Green had plans to join a different team other than the Warriors. That unknown team now has a new reason to hate the reigning champions.
Kerr made it clear to Green how much the entire organization wanted him to be a Warrior. Really, they’ve had their eyes on him much before this offseason. They’ve long coveted his skill set and are more than familiar with him.
All of Green’s eight-year career has been in the Western Conference. He has played the Warriors 23 times in the regular season and 15 times in the playoffs, including last season in the first round. If there is one Warriors player who is already more than familiar with him, he does not have to look further than his last name.
JaMychal and Draymond Green have known each other since eighth grade, playing each other on the AAU circuit. They connected more as seniors in high school with their profiles growing as recruits, and have stayed in contact throughout their pro careers. Both Greens spoke on the phone after that initial call by Kerr, but this one was less of a sales pitch.
“It really wasn’t a sales pitch,” Green said. “I feel like just off the relationship that we built when we were younger, it’s a respect thing for each other. We kind of know where we stand. He was just excited. We both know what we bring to the table and we just had a good conversation about it.
“He made it easy for me to come here.”
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With 49 playoff games to his name, 12 of which were losses to the Warriors, Green is dreaming of winning a ring. When the Warriors made him feel wanted and needed for another championship run, Green was all the way in.
That kind of love is impossible to ignore.
“I smiled a lot, did a lot of thinking about it and just glad to be here,” he said.
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