A whole host of current and former NBA players have gotten into podcasting, and Stephen Jackson is one of them. Jackson co-hosts the popular All The Smoke podcast, and during a collaboration with the Club 520 Podcast, he stated that it’s not possible to be a successful player and podcaster at the same time.
“Half the players that’s playing that got [a podcast], they can’t do it,” Jackson said. “I ain’t seen nobody be successful doing it yet. They successful in the media space, but talking about on the court and podcast. Nobody’s been successful on both. Name one.”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green’s name was immediately brought up in response. Jackson, however, surprisingly downplayed Green’s importance on the court.
“His role is super limited to what he got to do, bro,” Jackson replied. “He’s not like the guy on the team, like the go-to guy, the star. He just thrown around to do the dirty work.”
Green definitely isn’t the biggest star on the Warriors, but it is disrespectful to state that his role is super limited and he’s just doing dirty work. The four-time All-Star did a lot for the Warriors last season.
Green averaged 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in 2024-25. The 35-year-old made the All-Defensive First Team and finished third in voting for DPOY. He is definitely someone who can be called a successful player and podcaster.
Some criticism did come Green’s way when he launched The Draymond Green Show back in November 2021. First of all, there was talk about him needing to focus on playing. Secondly, there was this notion that Green was giving away the Warriors’ game plan on his podcast, which annoyed him greatly.
The Warriors would go on to win the NBA championship in 2022, and Green played his part in the triumph. He might have hoped that those criticisms would go away after that, but there remains talk about him needing to focus on his playing career.
Getting back to Jackson’s original point, there is one individual who could certainly argue that he’s been a great player and podcaster. That, of course, is Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who launched Mind the Game in 2024. Unlike Green, James has been the go-to guy for his teams as well, so he’d fit that criteria, too.
Draymond Green’s Stern Message To Young Players Starting Podcasts
While Green is pleased to see NBA players, in general, getting into podcasting, he isn’t sure the younger ones should do it. He once sent a stern message to them about starting podcasting too early.
“When I see guys doing it now, I have two thoughts,” Green stated. “A, I like that you’re doing that. I think that’s super dope that you’re doing that. But B, make sure that you’re in the space to do it first. I see some guys starting now, and if you start now because you’re trying to make that your main job, great. Go for it.
“But you’re not in a space right now to do that and try to make it in basketball because you ain’t made it in that yet,” Green continued. “… For some of these guys, they be in year three, still trying to figure it out, with a podcast. I love that you’re doing it, I love that you found something that you want to do, but you in year three and ain’t done s***. Nobody really wants to hear from you.”
Green didn’t start podcasting regularly in his early years in the NBA. He had played in the league for about a decade when he started his show. Green would like to see players get into this sphere once they have established themselves in the NBA, as he did.
