Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has never been shy about speaking his mind. Whether he’s chirping at opponents, barking at officials, or breaking down defensive coverages like a hoops professor, the California star stays unapologetically Draymond. But on Tuesday, December 2, the 35-year-old forward showed a more vulnerable side when he addressed something that has nothing to do with basketball rotations or matchup assignments. Instead, he talked about the gut punch of leaving his pregnant wife, Hazel Renee, at home while the Warriors hit the road. And in classic Draymond fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat a thing.
“Pretty s***ty if I’m honest,” he told reporters when asked how it felt knowing Hazel was back in the Bay Area while he traveled with the team. “But, nonetheless, this is my job. And I love to do my job. But it’s terrible, if I’m honest.”
According to US Weekly, that’s about as raw and real as you can get in an NBA pregame media scrum. Hazel, 39, is expecting their third child together, a pregnancy they announced in September without revealing the due date. The couple already shares two daughters, Cash, 5, and Hunni, who’s just days away from turning two. Then there’s Draymond Jr., 8, whom Draymond shares with ex-girlfriend Jelissa Hardy. Hazel also has her daughter, 11-year-old Olive, from her previous relationship with former NBA player Jacob Pullen. So yes, it’s a big, blended family, and Draymond isn’t shy about letting everyone know he takes his fatherhood role seriously.
California’s Draymond Green Gets Real About Being a Father in the NBA
The timing doesn’t make things easier. The Warriors are about to slog through a stretch where five of their next six games are on the road. But even in the middle of that chaotic NBA travel life, Draymond still manages to create core memories with his kids whenever possible. Case in point: a heartwarming moment in Oklahoma City when Draymond Jr. tagged along to the arena and asked to meet Thunder star Chet Holmgren. Dad did what dads do. He made it happen. “Anytime you can give them those experiences that quite honestly money can’t buy,” Draymond said. “I’m always forever grateful.”
It’s a softer side of a player who’s often in headlines for the opposite reasons. Draymond has long been one of the league’s most polarizing figures, a guy who gets technicals the way some players get assists. But off the court, he’s a proud girl dad, a hands-on father, and a self-proclaimed homebody who says fatherhood changed the way he sees himself. However, some social media users found the act of skipping your child’s birth to go hoop a little strange. You “Can’t make some sort of exception?” one asked. Another chimed in via x, telling the NBA player it’s “Not that serious,” as well as to “Go be with your kids.” However, Green seemed to shrug these comments off.
“I don’t really got no hobbies, man,” he said in a 2023 story with Andscape. “I spend a lot of time with my family and my kids. That s*** teaches you a lot about yourself dealing with them kids. You know what I learned dealing with my kids? Dealing with them, you learn, ‘Oh, s***, I do that. Like, I need to do this differently because they get that, too.’”
That kind of self-awareness hits different coming from a guy who built his career on intensity. But Draymond didn’t stop there. He added that he and Hazel are constantly working to grow together. “We all need to continue to better ourselves and work through situations. So, for me, working through issues has been a really big thing that my kids and my wife has taught me. It’s been great.”
Draymond Green Trucks on
And despite the demands of the NBA schedule, he still tries to maximize every minute he’s home. For Draymond, bonding time isn’t flashy. It’s school drop offs and Bay Bridge drives.
“As much time as I can,” he said. “I do a lot of school drop-offs. You want to get that 30 minutes across the Bay Bridge. That’s meaningful time. So, I try to do as many of those rides as I can. When you get home, lock in with them. Spend that time with them. Because No. 1, they need it.”
For all the noise Draymond makes on the court, this is the quiet truth about him. He’s a devoted dad juggling the grind of an NBA season with the emotional tug of family life. And now, with another child on the way, that balance is more important than ever.
Sure, the road schedule can be brutal. The time away can feel “pretty s***ty.” But if there’s one thing Draymond Green makes clear, it’s that basketball is his job, family is his heart, and he’s doing everything he can to honor both.
