The Kittle Things, Ep 10: George & Draymond Green Talk His Football Career, CFB Predictions & Top 5 Bay Area Legends

Podcast: The Kittle Things
Hosts: George & Claire Kittle
Guest: Draymond Green
Episode Date: December 16, 2025
Summary by: [Podcast Summarizer AI]

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode brings together two of the Bay Area’s most beloved athletes—NFL star George Kittle and NBA legend Draymond Green—for a raucous, heartfelt, and insightful conversation. The Kittles and Green swap stories from their careers, debate what makes a Bay Area sports icon, go deep on the evolution of NIL in college athletics, make playoff predictions, and bond over their surprisingly sophisticated water preferences. Throughout, Claire’s football passion shines and Draymond offers podcasting wisdom, making for a freewheeling yet thoughtful hour of sports banter, nostalgia, and hot takes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bay Area Bonding & Introductions (03:20–06:16)

• The Kittles reminisce with Draymond about meeting at a Giants baseball game, sharing stories about team holiday parties, karaoke nights (Brock Purdy, 03:10), and life in the Bay Area sports scene.
• Draymond receives a loving but playful introduction as a four-time NBA champion and “voice of the Golden State Warriors.”
  • Quote: "I'm lucky to be on the show. I know Claire makes this whole thing go." – Draymond, (04:12)

2. Top 5 Bay Area Athletes: All-Time Debate (07:17–09:41)

• The hosts prompt Draymond to name his Top 5 all-time Bay Area athletes:
  1. Steph Curry (“number one, sorry to anyone who feels slighted…” – Draymond, 08:01)
  2. Joe Montana
  3. Jerry Rice
  4. Chris Mullin
  5. Marshawn Lynch
• Discussion expands as George adds Barry Bonds and Ricky Henderson, highlighting how tough all-time lists are across generations.

3. Draymond’s Football Past & Claire’s Football Obsession (10:00–12:10, 17:09–18:15)

• Draymond reveals he played quarterback, then tight end (“…I was a glorified right tackle sometimes…if they threw me the ball…” – Draymond, 10:14), and defensive end growing up.
• Claire’s football dedication is celebrated:
  • Quote: “Every Saturday and every Sunday, Claire is watching football from start to finish.” – George, (17:47)

4. Podcasting Advice & On-Air Chemistry (13:33–15:53)

• Draymond offers advice for the Kittles’ podcasting journey:
  • Be consistent with release days.
  • Lean into Claire’s energy and unique questions.
  • Value in-depth, unhurried stories only podcasts can capture.
  • Always prepare, “like preparing for a game.”
  • Quote: "Time is your friend on the podcast. Love that." – Draymond, (15:18)

5. College Football, NIL, and Student Debt (17:15–24:59)

• Animated discussion on the rise of unexpected CFB powers (Indiana, Vanderbilt, James Madison), and the shifting landscape thanks to NIL.
• Draymond’s philanthropy:
  • Donated $3.1M to Michigan State for a weight room (“The Draymond Green strength and conditioning facility”—ironic for a “pudgy guy” as a freshman).
  • On NIL, prefers giving time to recruits rather than direct funds.
  • Shares personal stories about student debt and the burden it places on student-athletes (“I still left college in debt… And how I learned about actual student loan debt was from my wife” – Draymond, 23:51).

6. College Football Playoff Predictions & “Bracket Battle” (25:29–34:18)

• The trio runs through playoff bracket picks with friendly (and some not-so-friendly) rivalry:
  • Draymond calls the Alabama program different under Kalen DeBoer, and picks Indiana to beat Bama.
  • George and Claire argue for Oklahoma as a dark horse.
  • Bob Stoops joins via call to weigh in on Indiana-Ohio State, picking Indiana:
    • Quote: “If they go at it again, I’m taking Indiana.” – Bob Stoops, (30:25)
  • Draymond predicts Ohio State wins the rematch: “Ohio State is going to be pissed off… and I think they win a rematch.” (31:14)
  • The difficulty of new Big Ten geography (“Can you imagine flying... across the entire US to Oregon?” – Claire, 28:07)

7. Water Snobs & Locker Room Hydration Rituals (34:20–42:21)

• A surprisingly in-depth discussion on favorite waters:
  • Draymond swears by Mountain Valley (green glass bottles).
  • George touts a rare Austrian water (Halstein).
  • Team rituals: Niners keep cases for every player on flights; Dee Ford legendary for Voss.
  • Draymond “can’t leave waters behind” in hotel rooms, a lasting lesson from humble beginnings.
    • Quote: “When I leave a hotel room, I cannot leave waters.” – Draymond, (39:13)
• Top 3 water moments—including childhood hose water and gym fountain nostalgia.

8. Game Ball Segment & Cozy Kittle Trivia (43:31–46:47)

• Hosts and Draymond play a superlatives game (e.g., who starts Christmas music earliest, who’s the better gift wrapper, who’d be the rowdiest game day coach).
  • George dreams of coaching “a group of outrageously talented fifth graders… and we’re going to run gap scheme, outside zone, play action until they quit.” (44:43)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “He embodies what it means to be from Oakland.” – Draymond on Marshawn Lynch (08:13)
• “When you’re a rookie on podcasts, you think, ‘I know basketball, I can just talk.’ You look like an idiot. You gotta prepare.” – Draymond (15:42)
• “I appreciate the fact that we have some water snobs on our team. It’s hilarious.” – George (38:48)
• “If I could get the money back I made in parking tickets in college, I actually probably was doing okay financially.” – Draymond (24:02)

Memorable Moments with Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | Notable Content/Quotes | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:20 | Draymond Introduction | “I’m lucky to be on the show...” | | 07:17 | Top 5 Bay Area Athlete Debate | “Steph Curry’s number one…” | | 10:14 | Draymond’s Football Past | “Glorified right tackle…if they threw me the ball” | | 15:18 | Podcasting Advice | “Time is your friend on the podcast.” | | 17:47 | Claire’s Football Fandom | “Every Saturday and every Sunday, Claire is watching…” | | 23:51 | Student Debt Real Talk | “How I learned about actual student loan debt…” | | 25:29 | CFB Playoff Predictions—Bracket Run | Picks for Oregon, Indiana, Georgia, etc. | | 30:25 | Bob Stoops call-in | “If they go at it again, I’m taking Indiana.” | | 31:14 | Draymond on OSU Rematch | “Ohio State is going to be pissed…” | | 34:20 | Water Snobbery & Rituals | “They should bring me a deal here…this is my water.” | | 39:13 | Carrying Waters from Hotels | “When I leave a hotel room, I cannot leave waters.” | | 44:43 | Dream of Coaching Youth Football | “We’re going to run gap scheme, outside zone, play action until they quit.” |

Flow, Style & Takeaways

• The tone is irreverent and fun—playful rivalry, deep sports knowledge, and “family table” comfort.
• Draymond is charmingly candid, introspective about his journey, supportive of his college, and playful about his NBA “voice.”
• Claire’s passions and knowledge shine as she steers both football and lifestyle talk, and George flexes his own encyclopedic sports memory.
• Unique, relatable moments (like long discussions about bottled water and hotel quirks) showcase the “little things” the show promises.
• The college football bracket segment is both competitive and cooperative, with Bob Stoops adding an authentic twist.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a high-energy, inside look at the heart of Bay Area sports, collegiate nostalgia, the evolving college football landscape, and the little quirks that make athletes human. Draymond offers unique insight into the NBA world, his journey, and the reality of student-athlete finances, while the Kittles deliver their signature blend of humor and heart, making for a memorable conversation on sports, life, and hydration.