Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green harbors an energetic curiosity regarding the players drafted before him in the 2012 NBA Draft, even a decade after. Green, who the Warriors selected as the 35th pick in the second round, offered his perspective on Andrew Nicholson, who was taken 19th overall before him.
Green has been in the spotlight due to various events, including his participation in Capitol One's "The Match. " The event revisited his memorable three-point shooting contest against Kevin Hart during the 2017 NBA All-Star weekend. Additionally, he made further, bigger headlines when re-signing with the Warriors, after initially declining his $27 (£21.7m) to million player option with the team.
And recently, Green was a guest on Wave Sports + Entertainment's Podcast P, hosted by Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George. Green discussed his special bond with fellow Warriors players Steph Curry and Klay Thompson during the interview. He also shared insights on how Chris Paul' s presence has influenced the Warriors and expressed his excitement to witness CP3's impact on the team's younger players.
Green further revealed that he diligently keeps track of every player drafted ahead of him in the 2012 NBA Draft, with Andrew Nicholson standing out as an astonishing selection.
"The most ridiculous? Which one? I mean s***, Listen not to throw salt at anybody, but Andrew Nicholson was drafted over me at No. 19," explained a passionate Draymond.
"Like you don't even know how to pronounce his school [St. Bonaventure] At the time, you all are comparing us as big men who can play back to the basket and face up. And I'm like No. 1; he don't even look like a basketball player," Green continued.
"I always tell people when it comes to winning, half the battle is looking like a basketball player. When you're on a team, and you look at the other side of the floor, and you see guys that don't look like basketball players, you automatically lose respect for those guys. "
So I'm like, 'this guy doesn't even really look like a basketball player.' Don't get me wrong, I don't really have the body of [an] Adonis, but I just don't see that. That was one that really, really, really, really pissed me off! There are several others that went before me, but that was the one. "
Nicholson had a brief stint in the NBA from 2012 to 2016, when the Orlando Magic drafted him. Following four seasons with the Magic, Nicholson secured a lucrative four-year, $26 million (£20m) deal with the Washington Wizards in 2017. However, he was subsequently traded to the Brooklyn Nets within a year.
During his brief time with the Nets, lasting only five months, Nicholson was traded again to the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, the Blazers decided to waive him just one month after the trade.
In September 2017, Nicholson began a new chapter in his basketball career, joining the Chinese Basketball Association. He now plays for the Bay Area Dragons, marking his presence in the league since then.
