Golden State Warriors center Draymond Green is not afraid of criticism, as he added another hot take, offering a sharp analysis of the game from a socioeconomic perspective.
Last year, on the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, the Warriors icon responded to a comment by LeBron James about how young players nowadays are more reliant on trainers rather than on their own skills.
Green was in full agreement and highlighted how he believes the game is now Robin Hood in reverse.
“Basketball used to be a poor man’s game… now it’s a rich kid game… There’s no imagination. Everybody’s doing the same thing. And I think a lot of that is due sometimes to having trainers.” He said.
Green went on to provide an example of James himself, opining that the days of seeing players come from nowhere to achieve something truly great are getting limited.
“The days of seeing LeBron James from Akron, Ohio, from a single mom, those days are numbered. Because if you don’t have the resources these days, you can’t make it. But that’s also why you don’t see as great basketball as you did before, because there’s no imagination,” Green expressed.
And both Green and James would not be wrong in making this assessment, as some of the most endearing basketball storylines have come from the back of sheer hardship.
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Players have used their game as a ticket out of difficult circumstances, enabling them to provide for themselves and their loved ones. Basketball becoming a rich man’s sport totally negates such fables, and more importantly, such opportunities.
Green himself grew up in an impoverished background in Saginaw, Michigan. His mother, Mary Babers-Green, raised him alone. At a young age, Green had to work at car washes and diners to provide support to the family.
The same goes for James, who was raised by his mother, Gloria James, in a destitute part of Akron, Ohio. James already had a legendary status in high school, which gave him a great chance to enter the NBA and change it forever in 2003.
In addition to such inspiring stories, Green also raised concerns about how young players are completely dependent on trainers and, in turn, do not develop any sense of creativity.
Iconic moves like Allen Iverson’s crossover, Hakeem Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake” and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook didn’t come from a trainer. These moves were created and perfected through trial and error on the court.
While Green and James’ comments will definitely spark some change in modern basketball, it remains to be seen how many youth players actually make an effort to improve their game on their own.
