Warriors' Draymond Green pleads with Sharks to draft top NHL prospect
Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini.
Suffice it to say, it would be downright shocking if the San Jose Sharks didn't select consensus No. 1 prospect Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. But that doesn't mean Bay Area figureheads aren't weighing in to help ensure the Boston University center comes to the Bay Area.
This was the case earlier this week when Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green said in a video posted by B/R Open Ice on social media that Team Teal "should be drafting Mack, he should be coming back to the Bay."
But this move isn't just one pro athlete advocating for a top prospect to come to the area. Green's decision to direct his choice to the Sharks actually has quite a bit of significance.
Green was notably part of a contingent including Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, who went to the Hamptons in 2016 to convince Kevin Durant to join the Dubs. Durant, in fact, joined the team that summer and the Hamptons 5 won back-to-back titles with Durant as the repeat MVP.
Sure, the Sharks are far from winning a Stanley Cup. But if Green can get one future finals MVP to move to the Golden State, why not encourage the local hockey club to draft a 17-year-old hockey savant as well?
Additionally, even casual fans probably know the most obvious reason for Green's advocacy. Celebrini's father, Rick, has been the Warriors' sports medicine and performance director since 2018, so he grew up in the area and even played for the San Jose Jr. Sharks.
"[It's] been an absolutely incredible experience watching him grow since the time he came here at like 11 or 12 years old," Green says in the video. "Seeing him put the work in with his father each and every day and the focus he has for a 17-year-old is unmatched by any 17-year-old I’ve ever seen."
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft starts Friday, June 28.
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