Draymond Green thinks he’s Kobe while talking about Klay Thompson: ‘I’m runnin’ through his chest’

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Golden State Warriors defensive star Draymond Green gave his best Kobe Bryant impression when asked about playing against his former teammate in Klay Thompson, who is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

“I’m runnin’ through his chest,” Green said of how he’s going to guard Thompson. “Of course. He’s my brother, but he not with us. He not with us — he with the ops.”

Bryant ran through his teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers at the time — Pau Gasol — and knocked him to the court at the very start of a matchup between Spain and Team USA in the 2008 Olympics. Heading into the matchup, both teams held perfect 3-0 records, but Team USA won the game by nearly 40 points and Bryant reached double digits in scoring.

Thompson and Green were teammates when the Warriors put together one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of the NBA. From the 2014-15 season through the 2021-22 campaign, Golden State won four championships in the years 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Plus, while Stephen Curry was ostensibly Golden State’s top player for much of its dynasty, it’s hard to argue that the franchise would have enjoyed so much success if it weren’t for what Green brought to the table as a defender and Thompson as a 3-point shooter.

Unfortunately, the Warriors and Mavericks won’t face off at all during the preseason, but fans won’t have to wait that much longer after the regular season starts to watch Thompson play his former team. The squads will face off for the first time of the season on Nov. 12 in what will be a home game for the Warriors at Chase Center.

It should be interesting to figure out which of the Mavericks or Warriors will have a more successful season, but the former may be the safer pick at this time. The Mavericks are only months removed from an NBA Finals appearance, and they also boast one of the more talented offensive backcourts that the league has ever seen with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

The Warriors are fresh off a season in which the team didn’t even qualify for the playoffs. Golden State’s season came to an end after it picked up a play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings.