Draymond Green has never been shy about saying exactly what he thinks. And this week, he had plenty to say about Stephen A. Smith.
The Golden State Warriors forward went on his podcast and unloaded on the ESPN analyst for what he sees as hypocrisy. It started after Smith reacted to a recent interview Green did with Jemele Hill. During that conversation, Green and Hill joked about the way Smith walks through arena tunnels before games. Smith didn’t love it, and he fired back. Green noticed.
“You very much so right up there at the top,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “A lot of players having a relationship with you were facts. Until you started to disrespect players as if you were a player. There’s a fine line. Stephen A, the problem I have is you get upset about the very thing that you do. You get so upset and bent out of shape about the very same thing that you do.”
Green then brought up Kevin Durant. Smith has been one of Durant’s loudest critics over the years, often pointing out that the future Hall of Famer spends too much time responding to trolls and critics on social media. Green flipped that around.
“You are the very person that drove the narrative that Kevin Durant can’t be spoken to,” Green added. “He got a problem with the media. A little sensitive. A lot of that came from you, but you’re doing the same thing he’s doing, responding to someone who says his name.”
Green also took a shot at Smith’s access, or lack of it. He pointed out that most reporters covering the league are in the locker room every day, which gives players a chance to respond in person. Smith, he said, struts through tunnels on game nights and guys don’t exactly love him for it. So the only place to answer back is on TV or social media.
It’s rare that Smith lets a callout go unanswered for long. So expect a response on First Take or his own channels in the next day or two.
Green also took aim at Udonis Haslem
Green didn’t stop with Smith. He also went after former Miami Heat enforcer Udonis Haslem, now a broadcaster for NBA on Prime. And he made it personal.
“I remember when I got into it with Poole,” Green said, referring to the infamous 2022 practice altercation where he punched then-teammate Jordan Poole. “I remember one person when the Jordan Poole incident happened with me who was really, really outspoken about it and it really bothered me, was Udonis Haslem.”
Green pointed out that Haslem had his own history of going at younger players when he was still playing. He brought up Jimmy Butler as an example. Yet when Green had his moment with Poole, Haslem acted like it was unthinkable.
“He came out like ‘that’s ridiculous! You get into it with your young guy I would never. I can’t believe you did that,’” Green said. “What is it ‘Heat Culture or Heat way?’ Maybe they don’t have fights.”
Green has never been the kind of guy to let things slide. He keeps receipts. And on his podcast, he keeps cashing them in.
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