Warriors star Draymond Green just celebrated his 35th birthday and there’s no denying that he’s among the NBA’s older generation of athletes. Even so, Green did not hold back from making an ambitious wish as he prepared to blow out the candles in a classic birthday tradition.

“Y’all know what my wish is,” said Green. “That’s five candles!”

with steph recording him, draymond said his birthday wish is the 5th ring:

"y'all know what my wish is. there's 5 candles." 🔥

(via: @/rasheensmith • ig) pic.twitter.com/o7JlPnBrcK

— nana (@namxsj) March 5, 2025

Draymond Green is arguably one of the most competitive players in the game and his desire to win and dominate the competition is unmatched in the NBA today. Even though it hasn’t been the smoothest of seasons for the Warriors, he still has faith that this group can make some noise.

In case you didn’t catch on, that fifth on his cake symbolizes Dray’s quest for a fifth NBA championship. The 35-year-old, who was born on March 4, is in his 13th NBA season with the Warriors.

As a 4x champion, 4x All-Star, and 2x All-NBA player, Green has an impressive NBA resume, and his contributions to the Warriors have been irreplaceable. At 6’6″ and 230 pounds, Green is a defensive juggernaut who can guard every position in any spot on the court.

Green had the fortune of playing alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant, but the Warriors have long valued his skills as a defender, playmaker, and enforcer for the team. Since 2012, Green is averaging 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. In 2017, he was named the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Warriors to the second-best defense in the NBA.

Fast forward to today, and the Warriors have fallen on tough times. Years removed from their last title run, Draymond and Curry are the last remnants of a previous era and they are battling to make one last title run while they still can.

After a rough start, the Warriors were not looking like a contender for the championship. Ever since the trade for Jimmy Butler, however, things have changed.

It’s only been 10 games with Jimmy, but his impact on both ends of the floor has given the Warriors a breath of life. With averages of 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 44.0% shooting this season, his play has put them back in play as a major threat in the Western Conference.

Since Butler joined, the Dubs are 9-1 and have moved up to sixth in the West at 34-28. While they are not favored to win, the Warriors are playing with a sense of confidence right now that is comparable to the peak of their dynasty in the mid-2010s.

This year, just like before, the key to victory will rest in the hands of the stars. Besides Curry and Butler, Green will play a major role in the trials to come and if he can deliver a quality performance, it could be all he needs to make his birthday wish a reality.