Draymond Green was left off USA’s Basketball’s 41-man player pool for the 2024 Olympics and he has spoken about his true feelings on the omission.
USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill recently explained that because of Draymond’s disciplinary issues this season he was left off the list, but Green says he was told a different story.
“…I’m a big fan of Grant Hill, and to know there’s been a personal relationship and to tell me to my face that you’re going to need me for the Olympics and then to publicly find out that,” Green said on The Draymond Green show on Monday.
He added, “If I’m not good enough for that roster, just say I’m not good enough.”
Green presented things a little differently when he was asked about it after practice at Chase Center on Monday.
“I would like to believe that there’s some guys in that pool that I’m just not as good as,” Green told reporters. “Didn’t quite think it would be so many great players in the pool because it just hasn’t been [that way] over the last couple of Olympic cycles. Then you look up and all of a sudden the ‘who’s who’ is there.
“I’m no idiot. You go with the who’s who and you figure it out.”
Green played a pivotal role on the 2016 and 2020 USA Olympic teams that took home gold medals.
“I’ve played in two more Olympics than I thought I would play in, which means I’ve got two gold medals than I ever thought I’d have,” Green said. “I’ll be alright.”
Other veteran All-Star players like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry were included in the 41-man player pool.
“Would it have been nice to play in a third Olympics? Absolutely,” Green said. “But I’m also not going to sit here and act like if all those same guys that’s on the list was on the list in 2016 that I would ever have the first opportunity. When it works in your favor, you take what comes with it, which is the good. Then when it don’t quite work in your favor you have to take the bad that comes with it as well. It is what it is.”
Still, the four-time Warriors champion says he harbors no ill will towards the Olympics team.
“No hard feelings my way,” Green said. “I’ll be rooting like hell for those guys because I am a part of the brotherhood. Regardless if I play in this Olympics or not, I’m still a part of that brotherhood and I’ll be rooting for them.”