We’re coming up on the 2025 NBA Draft, and yet another Michigan State Spartan, Jase Richardson, is expected to get his name called, perhaps as a lottery pick.
Many Spartan greats have gone on to the NBA, but other than Earvin “Magic” Johnson, no other has excelled like Draymond Green.
Green didn’t have the same hype surrounding him going into the draft as Richardson does. In fact, he fell to the second round and has since gone on to become one of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen.
It’s been almost 13 years now since Green was drafted. He recalled the pre-draft process on a recent episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” and told a brief story about his alma mater.
“I signed with Ron Shade coming out of college,” Green said. ” … And I went to Chicago, where Ron lived for like three or four days, and I was training. And it wasn’t that the trainer wasn’t great because I actually thought the trainer was great; when I go to Chicago, I still train with him. He’s incredible. His name is Basil (Evelyn); Bas is (an) incredible trainer.
“But I trained there for a few days, and I told him like, ‘Yo, I’m going to go back to Michigan State.’ And the reason I went back was more so it wasn’t about the trainer or anything, it was about — I felt like I had grinded and became who I became at Michigan State. So, literally, my first three summers in the NBA, every summer I went back to Michigan State because I felt like the place where I’d go and when I go there, I lock in like no other. I grind, I get to it. And so, that’s where I felt comfortable going through my pre-draft grind at.
“So, I go back there, and who trained me for the draft — literally trained me for my pre-draft workout — was Jordan Ott.”
Green recognized Ott for being named the Phoenix Suns head coach. Ott had been a video coordinator at Michigan State when Green was there.
The first round of this year’s NBA Draft is set for Thursday, June 25.
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