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Draymond Green Says Facing The Boston Celtics Doesn’t Compare To Playing Against LeBron James: “It’s Disrespectful To LeBron”

Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors slipped past the Boston Celtics by a score of 104-94 on Monday’s Game 5 to lead their NBA Finals series 3-2. They are now headed to the TD Garden on Thursday for Game 6.

Green has underwhelmed for the majority of the series, especially in Game 3 where he was fouled out and put up just 2 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. But the 32-year old managed to step up last game with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists on 50.0% shooting from the field.

Playing the Celtics has been quite a challenge for Draymond, and his stats definitely speak for it. However, Draymond thinks this series doesn’t compare to playing against four-time NBA champion LeBron James, whom the Warriors faced four times in the NBA Finals.

“It doesn’t compare to mentally playing against LeBron James, who I think is arguably the smartest guy to ever play this game,” Green said when asked to compare the two matchups. “Not one of, he is arguably the smartest guy to set foot on a basketball court. To say that it compares to that, it’s disrespectful to LeBron and it’s a lie to you.”

“…[This is] not as much of a chess match as it is when you’re playing LeBron, who is dissecting every play in that computer of his, like in real time. Like that’s just a skill that not many people possess. Not many people can come and sit here and find a random stretch from seven minutes to four minutes in the second quarter and give you every play like to the T and not miss a beat. There’s not many people that can do that.”

Draymond Green was asked the mental challenge of facing Celtics vs. LeBron James:

“It doesn’t compare. He is arguably the smartest guy to set foot on a basketball court. To say that it compares to that, it’s disrespectful to LeBron & it’s a lie to you.”pic.twitter.com/jXCyULdW29

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 15, 2022