Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green fired a friendly shot at LA Lakers star LeBron James after their teams clashed to start the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Interacting with the media after the Warriors took down the Lakers, 119-109, in the season opener.
Green expressed his candid reaction to James' age, likening him to coaching great Phil Jackson.
“LeBron’s old a** was over there in his Phil Jackson chair," Green quipped.
James missed the clash due to Sciatica, an injury that is expected to keep him on the sidelines for three to four weeks.
As per Green, he felt weird seeing James sit on the sidelines for the opening game after years of seeing him lead his teams in their battles against the Warriors.
“The battles that we’ve had over the years, you look forward to those," Green said. "So it’s odd. He doesn’t miss many games, let alone in a season opener. So, it’s really odd not seeing him out there, looking over, and he’s sitting in street clothes. But that’s also why you go and get a Luka Doncic. He’s a 1A, too.”
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 43 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, albeit for naught as the Warriors leaned on Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Green.
James had faced the Warriors in four back-to-back NBA finals from 2015 and 2018. The two have since developed a friendship through their games on the court.
James is the leagues' oldest player at 40 years. He is also playing in his 23rd NBA season, the most for any player in history.