The young Oklahoma City Thunder don’t care what people are saying.
Not even if it’s Draymond Green.
The four-time champion, and noted instigator, took to his podcast, The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, and called out the budding Thunder core for their postgame interviews.
“The one thing I see about the OKC team that’s alarming to me is their postgame,” Green said.
“Seven guys in the interview. There’s a certain seriousness it takes to win in this league.
“And there’s a certain fear you have to instill in teams in order to win. I just don’t know if they’re instilling that fear in teams with all the bromance and stuff after the game.”
“After wins, the Thunder all huddle around the one guy who is being interviewed on the court, and hype them up, and ‘bro-out’ with one another.”
Jalen Williams, who has been dubbed as the unofficial ring leader of the postgame hang, told OKCThunderWire, he wasn’t aware of Green’s comments, but shrugged them off.
“We’re just concerned about what’s going on here and everything else kinda takes care of itself,” Williams said.
“I feel like it’s kinda weird to have a strong opinion on it. But again, we’re just so locked on what we have going on here.
“That’s just how we come together as a team.”
The Thunder are coming off last season, in which they finished with the best record in the Western Conference and top seed.
Star point guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, took his game to another level, and the cast of Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Williams, and Jaylin Williams blossomed together.
They ultimately lost in the second round, to the Dallas Mavericks, but it was the young core’s first taste of the postseason.
They look to be even better this year – off to a 7-0 start – and making history in the process.
Their seven wins so far, have all been by double-digits, which no other team in the history of the league has ever done.
Clearly Williams and company aren’t paying to Green and his ‘mind games.’
If there’s one thing that the grizzled veteran knows how to do, it’s talk trash and get inside his opponent’s heads.
With the Golden State Warriors also off to a fast start, at 6-1, there’s a good chance these two teams find each other in the postseason.
Green knows this.
That’s likely why he said what he said on his podcast.
He’s planting the seeds of doubt, way ahead of time.
He is the ultimate master manipulator and instigator.
Whether it pays off or not in the long run, remains to be seen, as this young Thunder squad doesn’t seem to be phased by much.
As Williams put it, they’re just concern with what’s going on with them and not paying attention to anyone else.