Draymond Green as NBA Commissioner? The Warriors Star Isn’t Ruling It Out
Draymond Green has never been one to shy away from bold ideas - on the court or off. But when the four-time NBA champion recently sat down with Skip Bayless on a live edition of The Draymond Green Show, he tossed out a thought that turned heads even by Draymond standards: What if he became NBA commissioner?
“I would love to,” Green said, after Bayless floated the idea. “I always want to see this league grow. You know, in my time in this league, I've had my fair share of hiccups, but I hope - and I think - I've done more good than bad.”
It’s a fascinating notion, and one that, frankly, doesn’t feel as far-fetched as it might sound at first. Green’s been at the heart of one of the NBA’s modern dynasties for 14 seasons, a key cog in the Golden State Warriors’ championship machine. He’s a two-way force who’s helped redefine the power forward position, a vocal leader in the locker room, and a lightning rod on the court - all while earning universal respect for his basketball IQ and passion for the game.
But beyond the accolades and the rings, what makes Green’s commissioner talk worth paying attention to is his deep-rooted sense of responsibility to the league itself. That came through clearly in the way he described the influence of Pete Myers, a former Warriors assistant coach who mentored Green early in his career.
“Pete Myers - I'm sure you know Pete Myers, he was an assistant coach my first two years under Mark Jackson - he used to tell me a couple of things,” Green recalled. “He would say, ‘Hey, Draymond, a couple of things I want you to always remember in this league - as long as you're dealing with this league, you owe it to the game to leave it in a better place than it was when you found it.’”
That message stuck. And it’s shaped how Green sees his role not just as a player, but as a steward of the sport.
“He said, ‘You get paid in this league for the next young guy to get paid,’” Green continued. “It's so often in this league [that] you hear guys complaining about, ‘Oh, man, this young guy is now making this,’ or you hear how an older guy tried to crush a younger guy, and it derails a young guy's career. And [Myers] was always telling me, ‘You get paid for the next young guy in this league to come along to get paid.’”
That kind of long-view thinking is rare - and it’s exactly what you’d want from someone in a leadership role at the league level. Green has always had a voice that resonates in NBA circles, whether he’s calling out officiating inconsistencies, advocating for player empowerment, or sharing behind-the-scenes insights on his podcast. He sees the bigger picture.
Of course, Green’s current focus is still very much on the hardwood. He’s back in the mix with Steph Curry and the Warriors, chasing another ring and trying to squeeze every ounce out of this championship core. But when the playing days are over - and they will be, eventually - the question of what’s next looms large.
One thing’s for sure: if Green wants a future in league leadership, the door’s likely open.
“I said all of that to say, I've always tried to live by [Myers’ mentorship],” Green said. “And throughout my career, to make sure that - no matter what, no matter how people feel, no matter what people say - that when I go to bed at night, I can honestly, truly feel I can go to bed saying, ‘I've left this game in a better place than it was when I found it.’”
That’s the kind of mindset that could one day shape the league from the top down. And if that day ever comes, it wouldn’t be the wildest thing Draymond Green has pulled off.