“He needs to play. He just doesn’t have a ton of basketball experience, but he’s a really intriguing prospect,” said Steve Kerr back in October 2022, as a young Pat Spencer was fighting for one of the Golden State Warriors’ final roster spots in training camp. It wouldn’t be until 2 years later, however, when the lacrosse player finally earned a spot alongside Stephen Curry and co.

Spencer wasn’t able to prove much in the last 2 seasons, being the tertiary point guard for the Warriors. Despite that, his energy and resilience are something that several of his teammates, including Draymond Green, appreciate. The Power Forward recently gave an example to highlight just that.

During the presser after the Warriors’ recent 99-88 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Draymond Green was asked about his stance on Pat Spencer. The veteran compared the 28-year-old with himself and Jimmy Butler for being “one of the toughest guys on this team”. He praised him not only for being “a voice on the bench,” but also “selfless”.

However, Green also talked about that one time when Spencer really got to him.

“He dropped me off so bad when I was coming back from my calf injury. It was embarrassing. I went out there thinking I’m about to win games, and I pride myself on winning those games. And I couldn’t get a win. I got one win, but I couldn’t, like, win” Green recalled. “And he was talking crazy to me, and, I couldn’t do nothing about it. I was mad as hell, but that is Pat. And he brings that same energy every single day”.

It’s certainly embarrassing, especially when you consider the fact that Pat Spencer only averaged 6.4 minutes of playtime, along with 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in the 2024-25 season.

One can say that playing against a Draymond Green who is in recovery mode is like Jake Paul fighting Mike Tyson. However, Green knows his limitations and can admit when his injury is the sole reason for his poor performance. Therefore, despite not being at his best due to the calf ailment, what the veteran saw in Pat Spencer impressed him.

“He works extremely hard, extremely intelligent, and he has a chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t back down from anyone,” Green added. “And, you know, he’s been a great addition to this team, a good find by our staff. I think he’ll be around here for a long time because he just adds what he brings to the team”.

Pat Spencer proved himself during the playoffs. He has been performing significantly better than he did in the regular season, averaging 7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in the Warriors-Rockets series. Spencer dropped 11 points in each of the first two games, a stat Draymond himself would have been proud of. However, it is also safe to say he would have been prouder if Pat had held his own when things got ugly during one matchup.

Draymond Green praised Pat Spencer after the latter’s major altercation with Alperen Sengun

If there is one player who does not mind when things get ugly during an NBA game, it is Draymond Green. After all, this is the same player who once put Rudy Gobert in a headlock, punched his teammate, and struck Jusuf Nurkic. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise that he enjoyed it when things got ugly during Game 5 of the Warriors-Rockets series.

It all started when Spencer shoved Dillon Brooks to the court while they were fighting for a rebound. Sengun then ran into Spencer, who head-butted the big man. Trayce Jackson-Davis followed this by pushing Sengun, before players from both teams ran in to separate the pair. Sengun and Jackson-Davis received technical fouls, while Spencer was ejected. As reported by Blake Silverman, Draymond Green was on the sidelines and “looked on like a proud dad”. The same wasn’t an assumption, as the veteran himself highlighted his thoughts on the scuffle after the game.

“Beautiful. Beautiful. You don’t back down from anybody. And they didn’t. So, I like it,” said Green.

Some might argue that Draymond Green is setting the wrong example by taking pride in things better left unsaid. Then again, no one truly knows the full extent of how he mentors Pat Spencer. Hopefully, the more constructive lessons—like improving agility and defensive instincts—are rubbing off. Just not so much that Green finds himself humbled again during a practice session.