Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports
Draymond Green Blasts NBA On Trade Requests Double Standard Between Teams & Players
In his postgame interview, Draymond Green sounded off on the NBA’s lack of transparency and understanding of its players, and for not giving the players the respect they rightfully deserve.
The Warriors came off a 31-point win vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, with the absence of Center Andre Drummond. Drummond has come to an agreement with the Cavs, that it is best suited for them to mutually part ways and find a trading partner. Green said that during the game, Andre went to the locker room, and put on “street clothes”, which he found was a sign of disrespect from the team, and respect is a two-way street.
Draymond explained that when a player asks for a trade, they are castrated and hated by media and fans, as they are deemed selfish and ungrateful. However, he goes onto elaborate that when a team wants to trade a player because it’s what’s best for their franchise moving forward, this is a business and the teams aren’t held accountable, like the players are.
Green clarifies that the NBA wants its players to remain professional, albeit their team’s decision to move on from and trade them. But, if a player asks to get traded, he gets a lot of hate, and is deemed a “cancer, an issue in the locker room, not a team player”.
He went on to list the examples of Harrison Barnes, DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden and Kyrie Irving as scapegoats by saying
“At some point, as players, we need to be treated with the same respect and have the same right that the team can have. As a player, you’re the worst person in the world when you want a different situation, but a team can say they’re trading you, and that man has to stay professional and in shape, and if not, his career is on the line”. He urges the league to protect the players and states; “Everyone wants to say that young man can’t figure it out, but no one wants to say the organization can’t figure it out. The players must be respected and I’m sick of seeing this.”
Hate him or love him, this is nothing but facts and as members of the media or fans, we don’t understand the pressure that this may bring upon a player. Much respect to Draymond Green for speaking out and giving his opinion, knowing that he will most probably be fined. Draymond is a real one.
