Like most NBA newbies, Golden State Warriors bruiser Draymond Green also learned how important it is to save money the hard way. Early on in his career, Green was fond of hitting the clubs and embracing the nightlife. It wasn’t until he ended up blowing a huge chunk of money in one night that he realized he was making a terrible mistake.
Years have passed, but Dray still couldn’t believe how careless he was at the time. For the All-Star power forward, that would always be the most regrettable spend of his life. From then on, Green swore to never splurge on anything that wouldn’t help him become rich.
“A $21,000 night in the club,” Green once opened up. “That’s $21,000 that I can never get back. People say: ‘That isn’t nothing to you.’ $20,000 is still $20,000. I don’t care how much money you have, it’s still $20,000.”
Dray really learned his lesson
Green isn’t the highest-paid player in the league right now, but for a 13-year veteran, he has found a great deal of success in terms of salary as a professional athlete. In June 2023, Dray re-signed with the Dubs via a four-year, $100 million contract, a figure that saw him earning an average annual wage of over $25 million.
Unlike other NBA stars, Green was very involved in every contract he signed and deal he agreed to. He learned from his past mistakes and understood how the business side of the NBA works.
According to Dray, he has been doing quite well in maximizing his value as a player thus far. He feels confident that the effort he put in to learn how to always explore the best financial scenario attainable has really paid off.
“My first year salary was $850k. Now, in the grand scheme of things that’s a lot of money. Like to make $850,000.00, you’re still in the top what, 1% of America? And so it’s a lot of money,” Green once said. “My first year, I didn’t hire a financial advisor. I said I want to do this on my own. I want to learn how to pay bills. I want to learn how money works and if I screw it up, I screw it up.”
“Because at the end of the day, I’m 22 years old. I can’t live the rest of my life off this $400k so I’ll take home anyway, but I can teach myself about money,” he explained.
Green eyes to become a billionaire
While Green is undoubtedly making the most out of what he could earn as a pro athlete, he is also well aware that he isn’t gonna be playing in the NBA forever. As early as now, Dray has already begun building his future business empire.
On his drawing board, Green aims to be not just successful but a multi-billionaire by the time he turns 40 years old. Green fully understood that his ultimate goal is easier said than done.
To ensure his dream is still achievable, Dray has been expanding his network and connecting with the right people. At the same time, he has also been actively making smart investments on the side while still playing in the league.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.