Draymond Green admitted that his friendship with LeBron James began with intense animosity, revealing on the latest episode of The BARS with Brown and Rab that he once “hated” the four-time NBA champion.
Speaking candidly on the show, Green answered a direct question about whether his bond with James was always as strong as it is now.
“Hell no. I hated LeBron. We ain’t had no relationship at all,” the Warriors veteran said.
While Green was close with James’ longtime business partners Maverick Carter and Rich Paul, that familiarity didn’t extend to James himself during their early years in the NBA.
Green detailed a moment from the 2017 All-Star break that captured the tension.
According to Green, James organized a post-All-Star trip to Anguilla with Carter, Paul, and others—but Green had to fly separately despite receiving an informal invite.
“I think Bron probably said, ‘That n—- ain’t flying on my jet,’” Green said, suggesting that a second plane and even a separate vacation house were arranged to keep distance between them.
Despite the hostility, Green said there was always a layer of professional respect.
“Bron used to be like, ‘Yo, why y’all deal with this dude, man?’” Green recalled.
Over time, however, proximity led to familiarity.
Because of his friendship with Carter and Paul, Green frequently found himself around James, which gradually led to a change in perception.
Green said he started recognizing similarities between them, both in personality and background.
“I realized like, dang, bro really just like me,” Green said.
He described the evolution of their bond as organic, grounded in shared experiences and a mutual understanding of their upbringings.
The shift didn’t erase the history between them, which includes multiple postseason clashes.
Green notably referenced the 2016 NBA Finals, where he was suspended for Game 5 after a controversial altercation with James.
“We was beefin’,” Green admitted. “I really tried to hit him.”
Despite their rivalry on the court, Green said that building a brotherhood away from basketball doesn’t undermine the competitiveness between them.
When asked how he responds to fans who struggle to understand close relationships between athletes who battle on the court, Green didn’t hold back.
“They hate it. I get called gay. I get called a d— rider,” he said.
He emphasized that the backlash says more about the people making the comments than it does about his relationship with James.
“If they have time to analyze and worry about your relationship with someone else, they clearly don’t have a life,” Green said.
He added that he feels worse for people who spend energy scrutinizing others’ friendships than he does for being the subject of their criticism.
Green also reflected on the broader negativity often directed at James.
He said much of the public’s disdain stems from insecurity and a lack of emotional maturity.
“It’s just misguided love,” Green said. “They don’t know how to say, ‘Wow, I love you.’”
He argued that people now lack the confidence to express admiration openly, which often leads to judgment or resentment.
“That’s it, you know what I’m saying? Like, ‘Damn, that’s dope to me,’” Green added.
