Draymond Green turned a lot of heads with his controversial comments following Thursday’s Wolves clash, “The agenda trying to make me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.” This was after he received his fifth tech of these playoffs, for hitting Naz Reid in the face amid a high contact play. Intentional or not, the incident, along with Green’s shocking confession left many wondering: Is Draymond right? Is there really an ongoing agenda to tarnish his reputation?
So, Stephen A. Smith asked ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst what he believes people around the league feel about the Warriors star. Windy said, “I think people in the league feel like he is one of the great defensive players of the last 25 years. One of the great influencers of the game where he can control the game, especially for a guy who is not a scorer.” Although Green’s individual stats don’t show it every time, he is arguably as important in building the Warriors’ dynasty as Stephen Curry. Their chemistry is what helped the Bay Area team win four championships in the last decade. Moreover, Green has been the vocal leader and defensive anchor of that team throughout his career. And that’s how the NBA community perceives him.
However, Windy also highlighted Green’s another attribute that many believe gives him an edge during games, “People in the league think that he savvily controls the officials, that he’s sly like a fox in the way he does things and the way he applies pressure to the officials and the way he’s so demonstrative. And they feel like there are many times when he can manipulate the officials to sort of lean them in one way or the other because of the way he behaves.” Yes, although Draymond’s methods can be questionable at times and even get him in trouble, there is no denying that more often than not they grab the officials’ attention and benefit the team. The said anonymous people feel that’s how Green controls the officials.
Windy continued, “Yes, there are times when he loses control but a lot of it is totally calculated. What he is doing is putting the officials into a corner to achieve a certain edge. There is an admiration for him within the league for that.” But there are also times when these antics work against him, as the ESPN veteran pointed out, “He also loses control. For as savvy and nuanced the game that he plays, there are times when that all goes out the window and he loses control, which has happened unfortunately a number of times.” Thursday’s game is the perfect example where his technical foul on Reid followed by the emotional outburst forced Steve Kerr to sub him out, taking focus away from the Warriors’ comeback attempt. That’s why not everyone bought what Green said after the game.
Veteran insider accuses Draymond Green of doing “stupid” things: “You’re not the victim here!”
While Windhorst showcased a positive side of Draymond with his response on The Stephen A. Smith Show, veteran insider Dan Patrick had a completely opposite response to the Warriors star’s postgame comments. “You’re embarrassing yourself. You created this and now you are venting against the people who have employed you, gave you a podcast, you get to work on TNT when your season is over… This isn’t about being an angry Black man.” He said, scoffing at Green’s remarks.
“They single you out because you do stupid things. When you play basketball that’s when you’re great… You’re not the victim here. You do stupid things.”
-Dan on Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/sEeAcFxaLq
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 9, 2025
Then, the reporter put some harsh accusations on Green, “They single you out because you do stupid things. When you play basketball that’s when you’re great. I singled you out a couple of years ago against Boston. Stop doing stupid things, play good basketball… Don’t do this. You’re not the victim here. You do stupid things.” Well, Green does have the second most ejections in NBA history, only behind Rasheed Wallace. And he has 37 techs in his playoffs career. Not every one of them can be because of an alleged agenda.
So, it’s clear that Green also needs to take accountability for his actions. Otherwise, Patrick had a stern warning for him going forward, “You’ve cost your team before. You’ll probably cost your team again… You can Google Draymond Green and you’re gonna get ten minutes of stupid plays.” Yes, Green is just two techs or two flagrant fouls shy of getting suspended for a game in these playoffs. If that happens, it would put the Warriors’ season in serious jeopardy. Do you think he can keep his emotions in check, understanding the high stakes involved?
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