Draymond Green’s success in basketball has undoubtedly surpassed his wildest expectations. Once viewed as a “tweener” without a true position or path to playing impactful minutes, Green has proven at all three levels that he belongs. With numerous awards, NBA championships and All-Star appearances to his name, the former Michigan State Spartan should be a Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done. But without one key moment in his life, Green may have never found his way to the league at all.
Advertisement
In a personal and revealing appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the Warriors forward was asked about the biggest pivot he made that changed the trajectory of his life. Green acknowledged that there were several instances when he had to reinvent himself, claiming that it’s not uncommon for a person to have to make multiple life-defining choices.
The four-time champion did land on one instance, though. Long before he was an NBA star for the 2010s’ most dominant dynasty, Green was a standout at Saginaw High School. One poor decision he made as a freshman could have stunted his growth as a player and person. Instead, it motivated him and taught him a valuable lesson.
“In high school, I got caught cheating on a test,” Green admitted, claiming he was a “very good student” but was simply feeling lazy for this particular class. “My mom ain’t play no dumb. Like, you ain’t going to live in this house and be dumb.”
“Our teacher had gave us this study guide. And the study guide had a lot of the same questions on the test,” the four-time All-Star continued. “So I took the study guide into my exam, put it under my paper, and I just was f***ing cheating.” Green had nearly finished the test, but with just a couple questions to go, his teacher came and took his paper.
Draymond then explained how costly his choice truly was. This particular exam was worth 25% of his grade, so after he received a zero for cheating, it was nearly impossible for him to manage a halfway-decent final mark. Green faced serious consequences from his mother, who was adamant in her punishment, regardless of who showed up on their doorstep.
“Michigan State was my dream school. Tom Izzo had a Izzo Shootout at Michigan State, the team camp. And then we was playing AAU, going to big tournaments … And she stopped me from playing that summer,” Green said with his head down. “I couldn’t go to team camp, and people from my city was like coming to the door.”
No matter who tried to convince her otherwise, Green’s mother was not letting her son get off the easy way. She also wouldn’t allow him to play basketball if it meant he was going to make boneheaded decisions. “If he end up dumb and failing, y’all gonna move on to the next kid, and he’s just gonna be back in this house,” Green remembered her words.
The punishment proved to have a lasting positive effect on Green, who never made the same mistake again. “It taught me accountability … You gotta put the work in, you gotta be accountable. And so, when I go back to that moment in life. That was ninth grade. That’s what got me into Michigan State,” the 35-year-old explained.
Draymond Green has had an incredibly successful career, both on and off the court. When he decides to retire from playing, he should have a broadcasting gig waiting for him. And to think, if he didn’t decide to cheat on a test in ninth grade, he may have never etched his name into basketball history.
