The NBA is no stranger to Draymond Green’s fiery persona. But his latest incident has sparked yet another fresh wave of debate. You might already have understood where I am going with this, but yes, it’s the Zach Edey incident. The Warriors veteran found himself under scrutiny after a play involving Edey was upgraded to Flagrant 1.
Green, however, had his own take on the situation. Responding to the ESPN analyst’s claim that many around the league believe he should face suspension, the 4x champion dismissed it with a characteristic mix of defiance and confidence.
“You got Stephen A. talking about many people around the league think Draymond be suspended. That ain’t right, because if many people around the league think Draymond should be suspended, guess what? Draymond gonna be suspended!” he said in the latest episode of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show.
His statement essentially suggests that widespread opinion rather than impartial review influences league decisions. The controversial foul, for its part, occurred as Draymond Green fell in the lane while driving to the basket. He then locked his arm around the Canadian rookie’s foot, causing Edey to tumble. Initially ruled as a transition take foul, the league upgraded it upon review, labeling it a non-basketball play. The flagrant he received for this is DrayMagic’s first of the season.
Going back to his dig at Smith, it definitely isn’t the first time that the two have gone at each other.
Draymond Green and Stephen A. Smith have a history of tension off the court
There’s no doubt that these two bold, outspoken personalities share a tumultuous relationship. Of course, the most notable instance that comes to mind is Green’s indefinite suspension after hitting Jusuf Nurkić in the head. There was also the trigger – the Rudy Gobert chokehold. But the altercation with Nurkic was the hammer in the head.
Joining Shaquille O’Neal on his podcast in mid-May, the DPOY revealed that Stephen A. had reached out to him after some pointed comments on air. “Yo, it’s been hard for a lot of us to talk about you these last few days,” Smith reportedly said to Green. While the 34-year-old appreciated the words, it was the lack of action that hurt him.
“I know you got a job to do, I know you got to do your thing. But at not one point did you say, ‘Well, y’all are saying this person is f**ked up and this person need help. Now, I know the person. Say what you want about the basketball player, that’s fine. But I know the person,’,” Draymond reasoned, the disappointment clear in his words.
Green’s history of on-court altercations, such as his infamous stomp on Domantas Sabonis during the 2023 playoffs, seemed to be a factor in the severity of the suspension he received back then. Throughout such episodes, Stephen A. did not hold back. And the critiques only served to fuel his frustrations with Smith, whom he felt failed to support him when it mattered the most.
Anyway, given Dray’s volatile nature and Stephen A.’s bold commentary, it seems the pair will continue to butt heads as the NBA season unfolds.
