Draymond Green has never been shy about sharing his thoughts, and during this year’s All-Star Weekend, he made it clear that he believes the NBA has become a boring product with no substance.
“I think the physicality has been taken out of the game, and to me, that’s boring. The old style of refereeing would come back where if you’ve earned stripes, you get a better whistle. That’s just the way it used to go, and now it’s not that way. And then you question why, like, ‘Ah, why is the game boring?'”
“Michael Jordan used to get calls, but not the rookie coming into the league. He ain’t getting no call. The rookie coming into the league got a call or thought he was going to get a call. He turned to the referee and said, ‘You ain’t call that?’ And he said, ‘Who are you? Why would I call that for you? What have you done?'”
“So I think the human element has been taken out of it. I don’t think that makes for a great product. It’s never been an equal opportunity thing. So when everything’s equal opportunity, it slows the game down from a foul perspective.”
“It junks the game up because you have too many people getting calls, and it just shouldn’t be that way. Like, you got to earn your stripes to get it, and that’s gone.”
“And in turn, you ask yourself, ‘Where did the ratings go?’ And all, nobody wants to—like in any world you go to, you start in year one, you don’t get the same thing that the people in year 10 get. And so I think it’s bred a lot of entitlement, and with that, I think has come a lot of disdain from fans.”
The Golden State Warriors forward did not hold back when discussing the state of the game, criticizing the way modern basketball has evolved into a high-paced, three-point-heavy style that, in his view, lacks strategy and intelligence.
“Absolutely, it’s very boring. It’s not smart basketball no more. I saw a clip not too long ago where Kobe said, like, ‘Yo, it’s accidental basketball,’ and he couldn’t have been more right. Like, it’s crazy when we played the Lakers a couple of weeks ago, it was so refreshing to play against Bron because every possession is like a chess match.”
“Like, you know he’s trying to see when you’re coming to help so he can zing the pass through. You’re kind of playing this cat-and-mouse game, trying to wait till he turns his head so you can go help. And every possession is some type of chess move. You don’t get that today in the NBA often.”
“You know, you go back to, like, those matchups where we were playing against… and so every now and then you get a matchup like that, but you don’t just get that on a regular basis. It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more threes. It’s no substance, and so I think it’s very boring.”
Green’s comments came during a press conference when he was asked if he found the current NBA game boring. He went on to explain that he believes the league has moved away from the tactical, thoughtful style of play that once defined basketball. Instead, Green claims that today’s game is all about “who can run faster, who can hit more threes.”
Green referenced an old interview with the late Kobe Bryant, who once called the modern game “accidental basketball.” Bryant had criticized the way offenses rely on drive-and-kick plays, leading to random, unpredictable outcomes.
One of Green’s biggest complaints is the NBA’s increasing reliance on analytics, which he believes has hurt the quality of play. The shift towards prioritizing only three-pointers and layups, while discouraging mid-range shots, has taken away from the creativity of the game.
Despite Green’s concerns, the NBA remains more profitable than ever. Commissioner Adam Silver has pointed to record attendance numbers, soaring player salaries, and a massive upcoming media rights deal worth $76 billion as evidence that the league is thriving.
Still, Green argues that while the league may be financially successful, the quality of basketball itself has declined. He cited a recent game between the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers as an example of what basketball should look like. Going up against LeBron James, a player known for his strategic approach to the game, was a “refreshing” experience for Green.
Green’s criticism isn’t unique, as many former players and analysts have expressed frustration over the direction of the modern game. However, some fans point out the irony of his stance, considering that his own teammate, Stephen Curry, is largely responsible for revolutionizing the three-point-heavy playstyle that now dominates the league.
Regardless of where one stands on the issue, Green’s comments have reignited the debate over whether today’s NBA prioritizes entertainment over basketball IQ. While the league remains more popular than ever, Green believes that the game itself is losing its depth, and for him, that makes it boring.
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