Draymond Green: Kyrie Irving Should Believe Celtics Can Beat Warriors

Draymond Green says Kyrie Irving “should” stick with his belief that Boston can dethrone the Warriors.

That doesn’t mean, however, the Celtics will beat Golden State.

“I think he should believe that,” Green said during an ESPN interview.

“One thing about it, he didn’t say they will beat us. He said they can beat us. As a leader of that team, he should say that. I think he should say relay that message to his guys. You have to force your guys to believe if you’re going to achieve anything.”

Green says last season, which ended in the Dubs’ third NBA championship in four years, was the “toughest thing” he’s been through.

Per the San Fran Chronicle:

On monitoring the offseason maneuverings of other teams: “I’m a fan of pro basketball. I’m always interested in that stuff. I mean, the Lakers have obviously improved. People are counting the Spurs out, but I think they’re gonna be good, because they’re always good. But I always approach it the same way: If we play to our best, we’re the best team. It really don’t matter what anybody else does.”

On the stress of last season: “Toughest thing I’ve been through in my life. That Houston series was so tough. Even the Finals, it’s not easy to sweep a team that reached that point. When it was over, I didn’t want to think about that, or anything to do with basketball. Didn’t even want to see the trophy. They gave us a chance to take it home — no. Wanted no part of it. I just needed to decompress.”

On finding motivation through all that success: “To say you’d feel the same excitement and enthusiasm as the first time (2015), that’s a lie. It’s just not possible. You get to the point of finding games within the game. This year it’s about the center spot, making up for guys who left, just trying to get better. We don’t spend every day thinking about how we’ll reach the Finals again. It’s trying to figure things out.”

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