On Friday September 9th Draymond became more than just an athlete that played for Michigan State University, he became a legend. He was part of a nine-person class that made it into MSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The list included NFL Hall of Famer Herb Adderly as well as a well accomplished group of athletes that flourished in their respective sports.

The number of names under the men's basketball category in MSU’s Hall of Fame is limited, with only around 28 people having received that honor. The only name that rivals Draymond’s success in the NBA is the great Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Here was Green’s raw reaction to his plaque unveiling:

This induction comes a few years after Green had his jersey retired in the winter of 2019. After over a decade after leaving college, it does not get much better than having your jersey hung up in the rafters and joining the school’s hall of fame. Once his plaque was revealed, Draymond sent a message to Warriors fans saying, “As you can see, Hall of Fame, that’s the first one!”

It just goes to show how successful Draymond has been in the NBA and as a basketball player in general. He can say with confidence that he will be in two hall of fames, MSU’s and the NBA’s because he is a winner and knows how to lead teams with his passion. Pair that with his unmatched desire to win the game and you get a player that every coach wants on their team but hates playing against.

In college he was the same way, his career averages are 10.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. But his heart and passion were at many times, the reason MSU would come out on top against much more well-known opponents. Another thing to look at when observing Green’s college career is that every year he got better. Every year his averages for points per game went up, his rebounds went up, his free throw percentage and his three-point percentage all went up. Green has credited Coach Tom Izzo as the reason he has progressed as an athlete as well as in life.

He embodies what it means to be a Spartan and to be a professional athlete that gives 110 percent on the floor no matter who is in front of him. So every basketball player, no matter if you love or hate Green, should strive to be like him in some aspect of their game. To be a vocal leader on the floor and to improve every year says a lot. And in the case of the four-time champion Draymond Green, it allows him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for MSU. And once he retires, the Hall of Fame for the NBA.

Draymond and his fellow inductees will be honored on Saturday at Spartan Stadium as the Spartans take on the University of Akron at 4 p.m.

(Photo credit: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)