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“Stole My Whole Aura”: Draymond Green Goes On Rant After Being Forced To Read 2019 Finals Stat

Somin Bhattacharjee
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May 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.

Warriors fans, we’re going on a trip down memory lane that you may not enjoy. 2019, when the core of the dynasty was on the verge of winning their third consecutive NBA title, before two catastrophic injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson hit them. Now, Draymond Green looks back on it with anguish.

It ended up being Durant’s last ever appearance for the Warriors, as he would go on to join Brooklyn a few months later. Green, along with Thompson and Steph Curry, won another title in 2022 — somewhat of a redemption. Still, 2019 is talked about a lot today as one of basketball’s biggest ‘what ifs’.

Green doesn’t like talking about it. He made that clear in his podcast while talking about a stat from Game 2 of the Thunder vs Pacers Finals clash. A particular stat from the game completely blindsided him, and he proceeded to go on a rant.

Five players from Oklahoma had 15+ points. The last time that happened? Back in 2019, when the Raptors played the Warriors in the Finals. Green did his best to steer away from the topic, but he couldn’t. “We won’t talk about that NBA Finals, who the f*** cares about that NBA Finals?” 

“You know, I told y’all I get these rundowns, like just to help me stay on topic. So I know what topics to hit, boom, boom, boom, let’s roll…. You know, whatever, just stole my whole aura,” he added.

Clearly, it’s a rather sensitive topic for the former Defensive Player of the Year. He was on the floor when the Raptors — led by Kawhi Leonard (22 points), Pascal Siakam (26), Kyle Lowry (26), Fred VanVleet (22), and Serge Ibaka (15) — got the better of the Warriors, 114–110, in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, ending the dream run of that era of Golden State.

This wasn’t the first time Dray reminded the NBA community of just how much that defeat hurt, either. Had Klay not torn his ACL in Game 6, the Warriors may have just taken the flight to Toronto for a decider. History would have been very different.

As far as Green is concerned, he would have much rather not been a part of the Finals altogether than pack up and go home without anything to show for it.

“You get nothing for making the NBA Finals except a couple tens of thousands of dollars more than the conference final loser, and you get another three weeks short of summer,” Green said earlier this year, when talking about the Knicks’ 2025 push for the Finals. The man spoke from experience.

Post Edited By:Sameen Nawathe

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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