Austin Rivers fires back at Draymond Green, calls him ‘luckiest basketball player I’ve ever seen’
As the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty continues to wane, so does veteran Draymond Green.
Gone are the days of blind trust in dynasty but turbulent Warriors teams.
The growing buzz around the team now points to its impending demise: talk of coach Steve Kerr’s departure, calls for a roster overhaul, and most of all (as expected), Draymond Green’s role in the sinking ship, which has become a hearty podcast source for the outspoken Warriors forward.
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Green recently took aim at Kerr, who led this dynasty to four NBA championships. Green suggested that Kerr did not direct his career but limited it.
Austin Rivers and Draymond Green are in a war of words, but on the typically measured Rivers, the former Warriors player may have the upper hand. (Getty Images)
“As much as Steve has done for me in basketball, there’s a part of me that feels like he’s hindered me in my career and the path of what I could have been. When I think about who I am offensively and who I am as a player, I think part of that is because of him. He hasn’t drawn up a play for me since 2017.”
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From the outside looking in, former NBA lottery pick Austin Rivers wasn’t having it, and a heated back-and-forth ensued.
It seems The Dan Patrick ShowRivers turned the argument around, portraying Green as the system’s biggest beneficiary, not a victim.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green reacts to a technical foul during the second quarter of Game Two of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 8, 2025. (David Berding/Getty Images)
“I think you were the luckiest basketball player I’ve ever seen. You were drafted into a franchise with a Hall of Fame front office, a Hall of Fame coach, the greatest shooter of all time, and perhaps one of the five greatest players of all time. Not to mention Kevin Durant, one of the most lethal scorers of all time and arguably one of the top 10 players of all time, the guy you chased because you talked too much. Steve Kerr made his career. How dare you?”
Draymond responded by moving away from the basketball and into personal territory.
Green mocked the contract Rivers signed with the Clippers in 2016, when his father, Doc Rivers, managed the team, and also lightly invoked President Trump’s name.
“Not everything is worth talking about. Rivers got the largest bailout in US history before President Trump bailed out the airlines. I wish I was a coach so I could give my son $200 million. You were gone from your first team in two years while I was still here.”
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In response to Green on Tuesday, Rivers didn’t hold back.
He has openly called out Green’s instability, including teammate Jordan Poole’s knockout in 2022, and questioned his maturity.
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Austin Rivers of the Houston Rockets battle for the ball in the third quarter during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on May 8, 2019. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images)
“You don’t have the money to do your due diligence and you realize that I’m actually being extremely complimentary to you. This is you and I shouldn’t be surprised.
“You’re always acting irrational and emotionally immature, and your anger always gets you into hot water, so I have to point out a video of you belittling my career here. Yes, the NBA doesn’t give coaching jobs to guys who may or may not punch a player or staff member.”
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Amid all this haystack, both sides have taken a hit, but Green is still equipped to flex on Rivers. Draymond may never have eclipsed teammates Steph Curry and Klay Thompson or even Kevin Durant as the centerpiece of the championship, but his unifying role on the roster is undeniable. Rivers has never played a role as complementary as Green’s.
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Austin Rivers of the Denver Nuggets argue during a call with referee Courtney Kirkland during the second quarter on April 21, 2022 in Denver, Colo. (Aaron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post/Getty Images)
Still, Rivers points to a fact that many have argued for years: Kerr did not limit Green.
Now, with Golden State facing an uncertain offseason, Green’s comments raise bigger questions.
Have we finally reached the end of the Warriors series? So how much of this was Draymond’s fault?
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com Follow on /x: @alejandroaveela
