LeBron James once shared his true feelings about the idea of the Play-in Tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers star hated it, even going as far as to say that whoever came up with the concept should lose employment. Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green isn’t as critical of the Play-in concept, though.
For Green, the Play-in Tourney adds so much flavor to the regular season as it gives meaning to games, especially down the stretch of the campaign. That is also exactly the point of the Play-in — to breathe life into games that would have carried barely any essence under previous circumstances.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green Shares Thoughts on Play-in Tournament
Here’s what Green said about the NBA’s Play-in tourney during a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show (h/t Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated).
“I hate the play-in. Just so you all—I absolutely hate it,” said Green. “It’s the best thing ever created. When you look at the play-in and what it’s done for basketball, it’s the best thing ever created. I don’t know who came up with it, I know [LeBron James] said they need to be fired. If they were fired when [James] said that, they need their job back.”
And thanks to the Play-in Tournament, Green and the Warriors are still alive despite ending up 10th in the Western Conference standings at the conclusion of the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
The Warriors will look to keep their title hopes alive this season when they go up against the Sacramento Kings in a must-win game this Tuesday on the road. The winner of that game will face the loser of the other Play-in game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Lakers.
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