Draymond Green was the subject of an extended piece in ESPN this week in which his mercurial nature was examined.

Green had spoken previously about his personality in a piece that was published after the ESPN piece.

“OK, there’s the Draymond Green you see out on the floor,” said Green. “But that’s not me. I mean, it is, but there’s more. People see the fiery guy, the competitive guy, the trash talk and everything. But they don’t see the love and compassion. They don’t see the person. They don’t see the real me who values his friends and puts people first. I put everyone and everything before myself. That’s me.

“I could just give you a bunch of words,” Green continues, “but I want you to understand. People don’t see what’s underneath. At the end of the day, I care for you. It’s not just about how I am on the basketball court.

“I got real love for you,” he says. “That’s what allows my teammates to accept me.”

In the summer, Green was arrested for slapping a Michigan State football player and he also accidentally posted a private photograph on social media during Team USA's training camp.

“I’m human, and I make mistakes,” Green said. “I learned a lot about myself. And I wouldn’t change anything that happened this summer. It helped me grow as a person, and it helped me grow as a leader, and it’s helped me grow as a man. You learn from adversity more than anything because it allows you to see so much. It really allows you to see things in a different way.”

“He’s been upfront with us about everything,” Steve Kerr said. “He’s learned quite a bit this summer. We still rely on him for energy and leadership.

“He’s talked about taking the next step in terms of keeping his edge and not allowing it to spill over,” Kerr continues. “We’re not good when Draymond doesn’t play with that fire and energy, but he’s got to know where to draw the line.”

“The word that comes to mind is mercurial,” says Bruce Fraser, a Warriors assistant/player development coach. “He’s up and down. He’s emotional. Sometimes it can hurt or help him just like it can hurt or help our team. But you have to take the good with the bad.”