Ahead of the 2012 NBA Draft, many scouts didn’t expect much from Draymond Green. It was difficult to assess his skill set as a player. He didn’t fit any traditional position, standing at 6-foot-6—too slow to play as a wing and considered too short to be a big. Most players in his shoes would have buckled under the pressure and uncertainty. But Green’s life experiences didn’t allow that to be an option.
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Green wasn’t one of those aspiring basketball players who had every resource at their disposal. Growing up in Saginaw, Michigan, his mother, Mary Babers, did everything she could to provide for him. His parents divorced when he was just 12, leaving him without his birth father for most of his life. Even so, he never let his belief waver.
The Golden State Warriors icon may not have matched other players in terms of skill, athleticism, or natural talent. But he had something that’s impossible to teach.
“One thing Draymond always says is that you can’t measure heart,” Mary said on an episode of ESPN’s First Take in 2017. “That’s something a lot of people don’t have.”
Babers wasn’t wrong in her sentiment. Time and again in the NBA, players with tremendous talent have failed to live up to expectations. Anthony Bennett, Kwame Brown, and Adam Morrison are just a few prime examples.
Green’s upbringing, especially the influence of his mother, played a major role in shaping the heart he carries himself with. The environment he grew up in hardened his mindset to the point where the opinions of others didn’t matter.
“Draymond would never allow anyone else to determine his success. You’re only going to go as far as you believe you can go. If you don’t think you can do it, then you won’t,” Barbers added.
Green believed he could win multiple NBA championships. He believed he could be the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. He believed he could make All-Star teams. These are all accomplishments throughout Green’s career that stemmed from his belief. “In my house, it was just do it. Let’s not talk about it, be about it,” Mary revealed.
Through 13 years, Green has won four NBA titles and earned nine All-Defensive Team selections, not to mention two All-NBA nods. Most people would be more than content with a career like that. But that’s not in Green’s nature.
The Warriors star continues to keep his foot on the pedal. Although the Western Conference is stacked with teams capable of winning it all next season, Green still believes the Warriors can get it done.
As long as Green, Stephen Curry, and Jimmy Butler are healthy, anything is possible. It’ll be intriguing to see how things play out for Green and Golden State in the 2025–26 NBA season.
