Following the Warriors’ elimination by the Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, four-time NBA champion Draymond Green spoke about the team’s future. While the Warriors were the defending champions, they were unable to advance in this year’s playoffs, losing to the Lakers 122-101 in Los Angeles.
“We fell short. That happens. But overall we’re not done yet. Lost this year, we’ll be back next year,” Green said after the game. When a journalist mentioned Steve Kerr’s recent quote about Green, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson having a lot of years left together, Green was asked if he feels like the clock is ticking.
“I think the clock is ticking on all of our lives. Everyone in here, we all have an expiration date. So I think the clock is ticking on all of us. As far as basketball goes, 100 percent it’s ticking. That’s on every man in this league, every woman that works, that’s everybody,” Green said.
He also acknowledged that the clock is on them as a team due to their success. “When you have so much success, then people put you on that clock. Like they put you up against the clock when you have a ton of success. No one cares how old you are, how young you are. It doesn’t matter when you’re not having success. But when you are, every little thing matters. So the clock is on us just because we’ve been successful for so long,” Green said.
However, he emphasized that the team does not pay attention to the clock, but rather focuses on working hard and trying to win every year. “That’s what we’ll continue to do,” he said.
Green has a player option on his contract for another year. Reportedly, there is mutual interest between him and the Warriors. The forward says that he has not yet decided whether to opt out of the contract or not.
