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Olympics, wine and bonding: The unlikely friendship of Draymond Green and Zach LaVine

The education of Zachary Thomas LaVine at the Olympics began with a bottle of Opus One, a high-end cabernet sauvignon from California’s Napa Valley. After a few bottles, once LaVine became acquainted with the taste, Draymond Green moved to another burgundy. This one from France — Domaine Dujac.

Then Devin Booker, fresh off an NBA Finals trip, joined the fellowship of trapped U.S. men’s basketball players in the Tokyo Hilton. And he brought with him some heavy hitters. His bounty included a few bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, another French burgundy known as DRC. While a bottle of Domaine Dujac costs a few hundred dollars, a bottle of DRC averages about $2,000 and depending on the bottle could carry a five-figure price tag.

“We drank a lot of burgundy,” Green said. “He (LaVine) had no clue. He had no idea about anything when it came to wine. And it was good just to see him start trying wine. Before you knew it, Zach was coming up to the lounge, like ‘Hey, man, we drinking some wine tonight?’ ”

LaVine returned to the States a bonafide wine drinker.

“Big time now after messing with him,” LaVine said. “I’ve been donating to the vineyards already.”

The wine was but one component of LaVine’s schooling. Those lounge sessions were like a doctorate course for the younger players on Team USA. The NBA stars played cards, drank wine and shared laughs. And one of the stronger relationships born from these Tokyo nights was the mentorship of Green and LaVine.

It’s a head-scratching pairing on the surface. A high-flying scoring guard from the Pacific Northwest, who hailed from UCLA. A rugged frontcourt defender from the Midwest, repping Michigan State. They didn’t seem to have much in common. They didn’t have a significant relationship before Tokyo. But that’s the synergy of Olympic basketball, especially with COVID-19 keeping players from leaving the hotel, the opportunity to forge unlikely bonds.

“That’s what’s so cool about Team USA,” LaVine said. “You’re never going to have those relationships with those types of guys until you have that team put together in that environment. It was cool to bond with those guys and have some different relationships coming from it going forward.”

Green had pedigree, which is something LaVine could benefit from. And Green was all too willing to share it.

Now in his eighth season, LaVine has arrived. He’s blossomed into an All-Star, a top-10 scorer and, now, the face of a winning franchise. No longer can LaVine be written off as a nice player on a losing team. The start of the 2021-22 season has proven his worth as a legitimate No. 1 option. With the best supporting cast he’s ever had, LaVine has led the Bulls to a promising 8-3 start that has them tied for first place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls visit the Warriors in a nationally televised matchup Friday. Green may not suit up thanks to a right thigh contusion that has him listed as questionable. But whether in street clothes or uniform, Green will be reconnecting with a matured entity in LaVine, who is now more clear in what he wants, more equipped to go and get it. And part of that is attributable to the big brother LaVine gained in Tokyo. He even switched his representation to Klutch Sports Group, the same agency that represents Green, after winning a gold medal.

“I talk to him about a lot of things,” LaVine said. “Life skills. Upbringing. I made the decision to go with Klutch and with Rich (Paul), and he was with them. And I think that helped guide me a little bit to help me figure out what I wanted to do and me making my own decision at the end of the day.”

When Green was a young buck on the Warriors, he took to heart a piece of two-pronged advice from Pete Myers, an assistant coach on Mark Jackson’s staff.

First, Myers said, you get paid to get the next young guy paid. In other words, vets owe it to young players to school them. Green was going to benefit from the wisdom of experience. He would improve because of it and get compensated for his improvement. So when it was his turn, he had a responsibility to do the same to the youngsters behind him, help them get paid.

And that fed into the second part two of Myers’ lesson: leave the game better than you found it.

Green is the emotional leader of the Warriors, the anchor of their defense and the proverbial coach on the floor. And one of his primary roles has been grooming young players. But LaVine made him excited about extending that work beyond the Warriors roster. With the decree from Myers etched in his psyche, Green saw Chicago’s star as a worthy vessel. Not just because he was a younger player hungry for championship knowledge, but because LaVine has so much untapped potential on and off the court, and manifesting it is good for the game.

“When you look at a guy as talented as Zach LaVine,” Green said, “the reality is nobody has taught him how to be Zach LaVine and not treated as this young kid who’s up and coming in the league who’s trying to figure it out. Like, no. You’re a fucking All-Star. You figured it out. You deserve respect. And most importantly, you have the respect of your peers. Embody that. Because if you don’t embody that, people can see through that and it will be used against you.

“He’s one of those guys,” Green continued, “that’s extremely talented, extremely confident, but doesn’t really know how good he truly is, what he brings to the table. So it’s just trying to teach him that. You are the face of a franchise, bro. How do you be that? He’s never been on a team where anyone can really, truly teach him that. Or else he would’ve been that.”

It’s easy to forget LaVine’s career arc. His start with Minnesota was marred by rampant losing and a revolving door of coaches. The Wolves went 76-170 during LaVine’s tenure, with three different head coaches in his first three seasons. In those days, he had Kevin Garnett, Nikola Peković and Thaddeus Young to lean on. But Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Karl-Anthony Towns were the young stars the Wolves wanted to build around.

LaVine wasn’t treated as a foundational piece. He averaged 26 minutes over his first two seasons, coming off the bench in more games than he started. For a young LaVine, the job mandated he find his place and fit in as best he could.

Upon arriving in Chicago, LaVine benefited from veteran players such a Robin Lopez, Justin Holiday and Quincy Pondexter who filled leadership roles. LaVine wasn’t ready and had justifiable reason to still be self-centered, to focus simply on regaining his form following the torn ACL that robbed him of the final 32 games of what was shaping up to be his breakout 2016-17 season, as well as the first 42 games of 2017-18.

By then, LaVine didn’t have to lead. The Bulls had devolved into a perennial afterthought, a 20-something-win outfit on the highway to basketball purgatory. He’d play for two more head coaches in his first two seasons in Chicago, bumping his improbable tally to five different coaches in his first five seasons.

Nothing spoke to the lagging national perception of LaVine like the summer of 2018. That July, the Bulls matched a four-year, $78 million offer sheet LaVine received from Sacramento. Many considered the contract an overpay and that he wasn’t worthy. Some said the Bulls should have let the Kings have him.

LaVine ignored the noise. He did what he’s always done — trusted his work. His response? LaVine increased his scoring average every season, from 23.7 points in 2018-19, to 25.5 points in 2019-20 to a career-high 27.4 points last season.

“As someone who came into this league as a second-round pick,” Green said, “and had to grow to the position to be in a place where I am today, I understand how it is to be that young guy who’s just trying to make your way up. And then when you get there, how do you adjust to that? And it’s not an easy adjustment.”

It’s harder when you lack a trusted confidant, someone who has seen it all and done it all. That’s why LaVine welcomed in Green this summer. Through the time they spent on the court and in the locker room, dissecting film and drinking wine, LaVine and Green formed a lasting bond built on mutual admiration.

“He was the best teammate you could have for a guy in our situation,” LaVine said. “He was the leader of the team. Obviously, we know KD (Kevin Durant) was the best player. But without Dray, we wouldn’t have won. He’s the one who had everything (together) in every practice, watching film with the guys, making adjustments, giving guys confidence to come and play their game and just keeping everybody engaged.

“You can really see why the Warriors are so good. He’s the glue guy. He’s the one who makes everything run. At least that’s my opinion. He looks out for everybody else before himself.”

Green has been watching LaVine closely this season, equal parts proud and excited. He watches every game. He listens to his interviews. He follows how LaVine is growing his brand, even how he dresses. He can see the difference, the superstar blossoming. His demeanor. How he carries himself. Green said he even notices that LaVine walks on the court differently.

“You are becoming exactly the Zach LaVine you’re supposed to be,” Green said, “and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Undoubtedly, a part of Green sees himself in LaVine. At 31, Green is five years older and had a different journey but became a household name as an unheralded second-round pick. He’s made himself into a figure with his play on the court and his moves off it. Many believe Green could become a popular TV analyst or a coach or a prominent businessman. It’s all available to him because he squeezed every bit of potential from his personality and intelligence and hustle.

And now, he gets to watch LaVine do the same.

“Greatness doesn’t just happen on the floor,” Green said. “ Greatness is in how you carry yourself. Greatness is how you interview. Greatness is how people deal with you. It’s not just you can score 30 points on the basketball court. Greatness is how everybody else responds to your greatness, and if you don’t require people to respond to your greatness, they won’t.”