LeBron James jokingly blamed Draymond Green when Ryan Coogler brought up how he demolished the Golden State Warriors whenever he got the chance in the NBA Finals.
In a conversation for Interview, Coogler had asked about LeBron's health, as the four-time NBA champion had missed the All-Star Game in February. LeBron explained he was resting as a precaution for the playoffs, prompting Coogler to bring up his rivalry with the Golden State Warriors.
Coogler was tired of seeing LeBron dominate his hometown Warriors whenever they met up in the NBA Finals. All LeBron could do was laugh and blame Draymond Green, with whom he usually found himself at odds with in the post-season.
"I got nervous when I seen you wasn't playing in the All-Star Game. I'm hoping it's just a little maintenance," said Coogler before LeBron confirmed he wanted to rest up for the playoffs.
Coogler then added, "Good, bro. I'm getting tired of you beating up on my n***as," which led LeBron to reply, "[Laughs] It's Draymond [Green]'s fault. Draymond's always talking shit."
LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Golden State Warriors in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, posting a 1–3 record. Their sole victory came during the historic 2016 season, when LeBron, alongside Kyrie Irving and others, led the Cavaliers to a comeback from a 3–1 deficit to win the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Despite a 1–3 Finals record against the Warriors, LeBron James posted incredible numbers—averaging 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists per game while shooting 48% from the field. One of the most iconic moments came in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, when LeBron delivered a legendary chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the closing minutes, helping seal Cleveland’s first NBA title.
Draymond Green played a pivotal role in fueling LeBron James' intensity against the Warriors, as the two frequently clashed during games. One of their most heated exchanges came in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals, when LeBron stepped over Draymond, prompting Green to swing at him—an act that later led to Draymond’s suspension for Game 5.
In a recent interview with the BARS podcast, Draymond revealed that despite their close friendship today, he and LeBron disliked each other in the early days of their careers.
"I hated Bron. We had no relationship at all [...] I had a relationship with Mav [Maverick Carter] and Rich [Paul]," said Draymond. "Bron used to be like, 'Man, why you guys dealing with this dude?' So just me being around Rich and Mav, me and Bron naturally ended up being around each other more. And then we started to build a relationship because I realized dang, bro is really just like me. He uses the same lingo I use. He's from a place just like me. And we started to build from there. But it started off hectic."