Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has doubled down on the hefty praise he once heaped on himself.
Green, appearing on a podcast this week, stood by his past assertions that he is the best defensive player in NBA history.
While Green's traditional defensive counting stats such as blocks and steals are good, they're not necessarily elite -- but he says that only paints part of the picture.
"When I look at all the facets that make up the defensive side of the ball, I think I'm great in every facet that makes up that side of the ball," Green said on the "Dubs Talk" podcast. "I think I'm the best defender to ever play in the NBA. I stand by that that, I'd put myself up against anyone."
This isn't the first time the 31-year-old Michigan State product has anointed himself the best ever on the defensive end of the floor.
The 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year made a similar claim at least once before, during the 2019 NBA Finals, when Green's Warriors were facing the Toronto Raptors -- and fellow defensive standout Kawhi Leonard.
Green's bold claim turned heads back then, and he did so once again this week by staking his claim to the title of defensive GOAT.
Former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins, for one, strongly disagreed, seemingly giving the nod to all of Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace and Kevin Garnett ahead of Green.
Green, who excelled as a small-ball center on the Warriors' title teams during the last decade, said he has a different perspective on the game because of his relatively unique skill set.
"I also think I view the game a lot differently than most people view the game because I think I just see it from a different perspective," he said. "I think when you look at the things that make a good defender -- reaction time, toughness, being able to see the picture long before it develops, and most importantly, in order to finish a defensive possession, you got to rebound, and I think I rebound well."
For his career, the three-time All-Star is averaging 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in 28 minutes per game.