Inside The Warriors

Draymond Green Joins Rare NBA History with Latest Accomplishment

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green joined elite company after an announcement from the NBA
Matt Guzman|
May 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center.
May 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

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Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green joined some elite company Thursday afternoon.

After securing his ninth NBA All-Defensive First Team nod, Green became the fifth player in league history to have nine All-Defensive nods and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Gary Payton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, and Kevin Garnett.

The full group of 2024-25 All-Defensive winners is as follows:

  • Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
  • Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
  • Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

This season, Green averaged nine points, 6.1 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 stocks. He played a crucial piece of the Warriors' postseason run alongside Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III. Green is now the 13th player in NBA history to earn at least nine All-Defensive team honors.

"You can see the parallels," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Green and Chicago Bulls legends Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, "the length, the physicality."

"Ultimately it's up here," Kerr added, gesturing to his head. "It's the brain. Dennis and Scottie were the two smartest defenders I've ever been around, and Draymond is amazing in that regard."

The Warriors were bounced from the Western Conference Playoffs in the second round after facing the Minnesota Timberwolves. Behind Green, Curry and Butler, they'll look to go further next season to extend their championship window.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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