As the Golden State Warriors continue to face off against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, a new documentary is on the way. It looks great, but I'm hoping it isn’t some new curse similar to the Kardashian one. The soon-to-be-released doc focuses on Draymond Green, and based on Amazon’s first trailer for the special, it seems as though it’ll get inside the mind of one of the NBA’s most notable (and polarizing) stars.
The Sessions: Draymond Green pairs the four-time NBA all-star and three-time champion (and co-star in LeBron James' Space Jam: A New Legacy) with one of the most legendary names in alternative medicine, Deepak Chopra, and master healer Devi Brown. In this documentary, it's hoped that the spiritual experts can teach the NBA athlete to train his mind just as effectively as he's conditioned his body over the years. Amazon Prime subscribers can watch the special later this week, and it just so happens to land on the same day as Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Obviously, the doc finished shooting before the currently-running championship series. But given the superstitious air that surrounds sports like basketball, some might wonder if the release of a special about "training his mind" could negatively impact the power forward's performance. The athlete's performance in the first three games of the series has been heavily scrutinized. Also, given what's transpired as of late, some may be skeptical of a documentary he aims to better himself as an athlete. But reception aside, I'm eager to see if we'll be able to create a correlation between player performance and eponymous documentaries come later this week.
The special is directed by Deepak Chopra's son, Gotham, who at this time now admits to having some mixed feelings about the production. In an official statement shared with Collider, the younger Chopra said the following in regards to the documentary and how it's premiering in the midst of its subject playing in the NBA Finals:
I've had a lot of existential angst the last week as I've wrestled with the conflict I have between rooting for my hometown team, the Boston Celtics, and my friend, partner, and subject of The Sessions - Draymond Green. Fortunately, we have produced something special that deals with this sort of emotional explosion in the cauldron of competition. On a more serious note, we couldn't have built The Sessions around a more appropriate subject - someone fiery, impetuous, talented but also thoughtful, curious, candid, and super smart. No matter the outcome of the series and no matter what the commentators say, I believe Draymond now has the inner arsenal to navigate success and failure, winning and losing, because he has a stillness inside him that can't be swayed. I can't wait to see how audiences will react.
Gotham Chopra seemed to get out ahead of any criticisms about, perhaps possessing the knowledge of how these types of projects can be perceived. Going back to the superstitious side of all this, if the Golden State Warriors ultimately go on to lose in part due to Draymond Green's less-than-stellar stats, some might point a finger at the documentary (which also features Warriors coach Steve Kerr) as a contributing factor. It could also result in some truly savage NBA jokes from fans.
If the Warriors win, however, it could play to the special's benefit. Personally, I'm hoping for a Game 7 matchup (which would occur after its release), as it could potentially factor it into the mythos of this exciting matchup between the two teams. Hey, it could even get a 30 For 30 special, but perhaps it's best just to see what happens instead of endlessly speculating.
The Sessions: Draymond Green will be available on Prime Video on Friday, June 17th. NBA fans should be sure to mark their calendars, especially given the competitive matchups scheduled between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics in the coming days.
