Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green indicated that he and LeBron James recently discussed what it’s like going from being a three-time champion to winning a fourth title.
Draymond:
“I was on the phone with Bron the other day, and I’m just telling him like ‘Bruh, going from 3 to 4 [rings] is insane’ and he was like ‘Yo, I’m telling you, It’s crazy.”
(via @TheVolumeSports) pic.twitter.com/sN3GTGF9yJ
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 26, 2022
Earlier this month, Green and the Warriors captured their fourth NBA championship in eight years with a six-game victory in the NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. That title was achieved by the Warriors winning the final three games of the series, with two of those victories coming on the Celtics’ home court.
All of Green’s titles have come with the Warriors. The first three of those came against James’ Cleveland Cavaliers teams in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
In contrast, James is in a select category of players who have won championships with three different teams.
James won his first two titles as a member of the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. Later on, he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first title in 2016 by defeating Green and the Warriors.
After leaving the Cavaliers for the Lakers in 2018, James picked up his most recent title. It came in 2020.
If not for an infamous altercation involving Green and James in 2016, the Warriors veteran might have five titles compared to three for James. That’s because the incident resulted in a one-game suspension for Green during the 2016 NBA Finals.
At the time of the suspension, the Warriors held a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. However, James went on to pace a record-breaking comeback in a seven-game win for the Cavaliers.
Despite that dust-up between the two players, it’s clear that they have a strong friendship. In their particular case, a friendly rivalry is likely now set for next season to see if either player can claim a fifth title.
