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Draymond Green Responds to JJ Redick, Chris Russo Debate over Warriors Star
May 4, 2022
JJ Redick had Draymond Green's back Wednesday.
During a debate with Chris Russo on ESPN's First Take, Redick said the Golden State Warriors star is "real, authentic and unfiltered" and great in large part because he plays with such an edge. Yet Russo called him "polarizing" and suggested many older fans believe he should be quieter and just play basketball.
"The fans you're talking about, they talk about athletes that way," Redick said. "Like you just talked about an athlete. People on Fox News talk about athletes that way. That's my issue … but I don't appreciate the undertones."
Green appreciated the support:
Redick's comment about Fox News talking about athletes in such a way is notable since host Laura Ingraham made waves when she said LeBron James should "shut up and dribble" after he criticized former President Donald Trump.
James said he would do no such thing:
As for Green, it has been an eventful start of his second-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
He was ejected in Game 1 for a flagrant-2 foul on Brandon Clarke in the first half. When he learned he was ejected, he ran around the court and motioned for the fans in Memphis to make more noise before exiting.
In Game 2, Green left the game when he was bleeding after taking an elbow from Xavier Tillman to the face. He returned with his eye noticeably swollen, but it was his decision to flip off the fans who were booing him as he exited that caught the most attention.
"You're gonna boo somebody who they elbowed in the eye and face is running (with) blood, you should get flipped off," Green told reporters. "I'll take the fine. I'll go do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip 'em off. … If they're going to be that nasty, I will be nasty too. I'm assuming the cheers was because they know I'll be fined. Great, I make $25 million a year; I should be just fine."
All eyes will surely be on Green for Saturday's Game 3.