Draymond GreenPlayer·Draymond Green is not watching the 2026 NBA FinalsCompetition·NBA Finals as a neutral observer. He is viewing the series through the lens of a champion who has lived through dynastic peaks and postseason gut punches, and he sees a pivotal crossroads for the San Antonio SpursTeam·San Antonio Spurs.
In the wake of the Spurs’ stunning collapse in Game 4 — a 29-point lead evaporating in a 107-106 loss to the New York KnicksTeam·New York Knicks — Green has warned that the damage could extend far beyond a 3-1 series deficit.
"This is a big one. They lost a 29-point lead! The chance to tie the NBA Finals on the road, after going 0-2 at home," Green said on his podcast and during an appearance on "Inside the NBA." "That's the type of loss that can derail what you're possibly gonna become."
For San Antonio, the stakes are clear. The Spurs finished 62-20, the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference, and have been framed all season as the next great contender, built around a young core headlined by Victor WembanyamaPlayer·Victor Wembanyama. They now trail a Knicks team that went 53-29 and entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 3 seed, but has controlled the critical moments of the Finals.
Game 4 crystallizes the concern. San Antonio not only failed to close out its best performance of the series, it reinforced a pattern. In all three of their losses to New York, the Spurs have surrendered double-digit leads, repeatedly losing their grip in the second half as the Knicks turned up their pressure and execution.
Green focused on that shift in perception as much as the scoreboard.
"The reason why I say 'it could derail what you can possibly become' is because the New York Knicks feel, 'You're playing against us, no lead is safe,'" Green explained. "When people have that mindset about you , that's another thing you have to overcome. It's like when somebody thinks you're soft."
The psychological layer is where his warning hits hardest. A young group that has raced through the regular season and deep into June now has to carry the memory of watching a championship-level opportunity slip away in real time.
"With these Spurs now, somewhere in the back of their minds, it'll always be, 'Are we safe?'" Green said. "That's another thing that can derail what they can become."
The timing of the collapse intersects with a new collective bargaining agreement that already forces contenders into difficult decisions. Under the updated CBA, big-spending teams face stricter penalties and reduced flexibility, limiting how easily front offices can stack veteran depth around a young superstar core.
In that context, Green’s comments stretch beyond film-room critiques. A single Finals series — and the emotions that follow — can influence how aggressively a franchise reshapes its roster. A reactionary move this summer, driven by the pain of blowing a 29-point lead and potentially losing the Finals, could alter the trajectory of a group widely viewed as capable of contending for years.
So far, the Spurs are publicly leaning into resilience rather than regret. Wembanyama has expressed confidence that San Antonio can still climb out of the 3-1 hole, insisting the group believes it can extend the series and rewrite the narrative.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are one win away from a title, having outscored the Spurs in five of the six second-half quarters across their three victories. Their ability to consistently win the game after halftime has sharpened Green’s point: New York now plays with the assurance that no deficit is too large against this opponent.
Game 5 offers San Antonio a narrow path to reframe everything. A win would keep its championship hopes alive and provide a first answer to the questions Green raised about the team’s late-game poise. A loss would end the Finals — and, in Green’s view, could mark the moment when a promising era was forced onto a more complicated path.
For a franchise trying to build the NBA’s next dynasty under the constraints of a tighter CBA, how the Spurs respond to this collapse may matter almost as much as the result itself.
Kawhi Leonard shoots over Draymond Green during a Play-In Tournament game. Photo credit: ZUMA Press Wire/IMAGO
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