“It’s more than just higher IQ…” Draymond Green reacts to LeBron James claiming Warriors beat Celtics because of high IQ

Draymond Green believes that the Warriors' 2022 Finals win was more than just IQ.

“It’s more than just higher IQ…” Draymond Green reacts to LeBron James claiming Warriors beat Celtics because of high IQ

Draymond Green and LeBron James

In his podcast “Mind the Game,” LeBron James asserted that the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics during the 2022 NBA Finals due to a superior IQ. Draymond Green shares the same sentiments, however, highlighting more reasons why his team came out on top. 

The 2022 NBA Finals was contested between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics, with the Dubs winning in six games and, in the process, their fourth championship title in eight years. As stated by King James, how they won is what the veteran Warriors’ guard Green took his time to explain in his show, the Draymond Green Show.

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Draymond Green thought it was more than having a higher IQ; other factors were also at play, such as experience and the level of their coaching staff. The Celtics were making their first NBA Finals since 2010, and with a first-time head coach, Ime Udoka, Green believed his team’s experience in big moments like the NBA Finals also played a role. 

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I think we definitely had a higher IQ at the time. But I think it’s more than just a higher IQ, though. We had a higher IQ, for sure, but it’s also IQ in the moment, in these situations…. I think at that time; also, our coaching staff’s basketball IQ was higher. The adjustments that we made throughout that series it made all the difference.

Green stated:

In terms of experience, the Warriors, with an identical playing and coaching staff core, had been to five successive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2019 before the 2022 appearance. Meanwhile, the Celtics core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were making their first Finals appearance. 

Although the C’s started brighter, leading the series 2-1, they eventually succumbed to the might of Steph Curry and the Splash Bros. Green finished the series with averages of 6.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 6.2 APG to win his fourth NBA championship.

How the Golden State Warriors won their 7th NBA Ring, according to LeBron James

LeBron James was speaking on the essence of basketball IQ on his newly launched podcast, where he duly noted that it is a crucial component that separates teams during the Conference and NBA Finals. Furthermore, he referenced the 2022 NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Celtics as his example. 

I believe that when Golden State beat Boston, it came down to IQ in the Finals. Because Boston, to me, had the better talent. But it came down to IQ. People say experience - IQ.
The four-time NBA Champion stated:

Tatum pointed out that both teams were evenly matched based on talents and skills, but the Dubs prevailed based on mental strength. However, James disagreed with the Celtics star, as he was sure it was because the Warriors had a better or higher basketball IQ, which was why they won the series. 

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