In an interview with NBC Sport, Draymond Green described his rookie experience. He credited Mark Jackson with allowing him to be himself.
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A rookie out of Michigan State, Draymond Green exploded off the blocks in his NBA career. He quickly established himself as a valuable rotation member on the Warriors team that finished 6th in the Conference.
Green would go on to win a Defensive Player of the Year award in addition to 3 championships. He is the beating heart and soul of the Warriors on and off the court.
Mark Jackson admired Draymond’s leadership qualities and empowered him
Draymond Green recently talked about about being drafted by the Warriors as the 35th overall pick of the 2012 draft on the Brownprint podcast.
”I came in trying to get as many minutes as I possibly can. I wanted to come in and try to change the mentality of this organization that had been getting their f–king heads cracked for years on end.”
Mark Jackson to Draymond Green: “I don’t care who is in front of you, I don’t care who has more money than you, who has more status in the league than you — I want you to come in and be the same leader that you’ve been your whole life.” https://t.co/AAYfPT0pLJ pic.twitter.com/0RUIIYmkqT
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) October 16, 2020
It is important to remember that the Warriors were not in a winning position before Mark Jackson. He sorted out their defense before the advent of Steve Kerr took them to a new level offensively.
Empowering Draymond Green was probably the best thing he did with the franchise. Jackson may well end up in a head coaching role before the new season starts.
