Draymond Green shares why draft day was the most bittersweet day of his life: 'All these guys you drafted in front of me are bums'

NBA Draft Day is a moment when, for many up-and-coming basketball players, a dream becomes reality. However, as much as the fact that someone has chosen you to be part of a team in the best league in the world can evoke positive emotions, it can also be heartbreaking if you end up sliding down the board.

The same scenario happened to Draymond Green when, to his surprise, he fell out of the first round and was selected 35th in the 2012 Draft by the Golden State Warriors. When reflecting on that day, Dray still cannot hide his disappointment with the fact that 34 players were picked ahead of him, many of whom did not have careers anywhere near that of the Michigan State product.

"It's the most bittersweet day of my life," said the Warriors enforcer in the "Two Cents" podcast.

"When I got drafted it was so bittersweet cause I had promises from four or five teams from pick 23, to 30. Said if I was on the board they'd take me. None of them took me. To then go 35th, I just got my name called in the NBA draft. That is unbelievable. 35th pick? I had to wait till the second round? All these guys you drafted in front of me are bums, they can't compete with me," he added.

Why did Draymond slip down the board?

When we take a look at Green's collegiate career, there's no doubt he was exceptional at what he was doing. However, why did he slide down the board? After all, he was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore and carried the Spartans to the No. 1 seed during his senior year as their leader in scoring and rebounding. Additionally, his final year with Michigan State stands out as one of the best in the school's history, with Green earning accolades such as National Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year, among many more.

As good as that looked on paper, many scouts questioned how such a skill set would translate to the big boys' league. At the time, Dray was seen as an undersized power forward without the necessary quickness to follow wings on the perimeter and with an unreliable outside shot. However, looking back from the future, that same Draymond became one of those who redefined traditional basketball positions and emerged as a do-it-all Swiss Army knife.

Use it as a motivation

Even before he stepped foot on the NBA hardwood, Draymond was known for his ferocious attitude and never-give-up mentality. And from that day, from that disappointment, he decided to use it as fuel for his journey in the Association.

"I was pissed off, from that day forward, and to this day, I never forgot a single name that was drafted in front of me. Because everybody must pay. And when I tell you, one through 34, in one way or another, has paid," "The Dancing Bear" added.

With a resume that includes four titles, four All-Star appearances, and a Defensive Player of the Year award, we can say that Dray has definitely succeeded in his mission. One of the most important cogs in the Golden State franchise in recent years, he came a long way from being overlooked in the draft process.