“It was strictly coaching you in the Olympics after that, I was done” - Jay Wright hilariously tells Draymond Green that he retired from coaching because of him

Managing a player as emotionally charged, expressive, and outspoken as Draymond Green presents a considerable challenge for any coach. That’s why Jay Wright humorously sympathized with Steve Kerr , acknowledging the monumental feat achieved by the Golden State Warriors coach for over a decade now.

As Draymond innocently inquired about whether modern-day NBA rules influenced Wright’s retirement from coaching, the latter’s response was so fitting that it caught the Warriors forward completely off guard.

"No Draymond, it was strictly coaching you in the Olympics, after that, I was done, " Wright said. "God bless Steve. After 40 days with you, God bless Steve."

Wright applauded his time with NBA stars

After eliciting laughter from every panelist on the TNT set, the 62-year-old, in a more serious tone, confessed that he would always be thankful for the opportunity to coach stars like Draymond, Kevin Durant, and Damian Lillard, who helped him win a gold medal in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2022.

"I loved being a part of that with you," Wright added. "You were such a great leader and that gold medal is something I'll cherish for life."

Safe to say, just as Larry Bird capped off his player career with a gold medal triumph alongside the Dream Team in 1992, Wright also concluded his illustrious coaching tenure by guiding Team USA to an Olympic gold medal - perhaps a deservingly fitting finale to his impressive 21-year coaching journey at Villanova.

Jay has created modern-day stars

Draymond’s keen interest in understanding why Wright chose to retire, despite being one of just 15 coaches in the history of men’s college basketball with multiple Division I national championships, underscores the significant impact Jay has had on the modern-day NBA.

With 28 seasons as a head coach at the Division I level, including 7 with Hofstra and 21 with Villanova - Wright's legacy speaks volumes. Having eventually retired in 2022 with 642 career wins, Jay was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame a year before.

If that’s not impressive enough - players like Kyle Lowry, Saddiq Bey, Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Collin Gillespie, and Josh Hart are some of the few talents that Wright has nurtured and developed during his coaching tenure.

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