Draymond Green has been pegged as the next Charles Barkley for his outspokenness and work at TNT, even though his playing days with the Golden State Warriors are still ongoing. But it’s time to put an end to that conversation once and for all.
In fact, it’s time for TNT and every other media company that covers the NBA now or in the future to give up on Draymond Green altogether.
Green has been a controversial figure throughout his career. He has been suspended multiple times due to a never-ending stream of technical fouls and dirty plays on the floor, culminating in an indefinite suspension after striking Jusuf Nurkic in December 2023. He also punched teammate and then Warriors teammate Jordan Poole at practice.
Barkley was no saint on or off the basketball court and infamously said he didn’t want to be a role model. While Green has been following in those footsteps, Barkley showed another side in his TNT gig—showcasing self-deprecating humor and sharing unique insights that have seen him widely regarded as the greatest studio analyst in sports television.
And that’s where Draymond Green is falling short.
The latest and most egregious example came this week where, unsourced and unverified, he said on his podcast that Karl-Anthony Towns sat out the Knicks’ recent game against the Warriors in New York because he didn’t want to play against former teammate Jimmy Butler.
Green’s insinuation was clear—KAT was hiding or too scared to play Butler because of a confrontation they had while teammates in Minnesota. Chris Broussard amplified the comments on FS1, and they started to grow like wildfire.
Except they weren’t true. It was later revealed that Towns missed the game to attend a close family friend’s funeral.
This is just a reckless and inappropriate conversation from Draymond and Baron Davis. Wouldn’t have been hard to do a little research or make a phone call before posting pic.twitter.com/GWyxXVYRQO
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 6, 2025
After he was confronted at a press conference, Green backed down. But he also incredibly said, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis must go on” to continue doing what is most important to him—promoting his podcast.
Q “You seen reaction to your KAT comments [that he ducked game v Warriors]? Were you aware of circumstances?”
Draymond “No”
Q “He was at funeral for family friend”
Draymond “Oh man…But what I heard was…what I heard…I send well wishes…but the Draymond Green Show will go on” pic.twitter.com/jy0RICbUvv
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 7, 2025
Does it? Does it really? Does the Draymond Green Show have to go on?
Green half-heartedly shared some condolences for Towns and said he only shared what he heard. But it shows an incredible lack of integrity and responsibility on his part in saying that in a public forum about Karl-Anthony Towns, a player who has dealt with way more tragedy in his life than anyone deserves. For Towns, as someone who has publicly dealt with grief and loss, to have this rumor that he was ducking Jimmy Butler recklessly attached to him while he was attending the funeral of a friend is just cruel.
It’s one thing to have bold opinions and big takes. That’s what the likes of Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith do for a living and why they both command huge salaries. It’s another to carelessly and thoughtlessly spread false rumors about fellow NBA stars. Is that the kind of person and presence that TNT or any other network that covers the NBA really wants on their airwaves?
While his comments about Karl-Anthony Towns should be the final straw, nothing from Draymond Green’s body of work at TNT through the years demands a further spotlight, no matter how hard the network may have tried to force it. His most recent appearance at the NBA All-Star Game was a disaster because of his negativity. Green was panned and called “unprofessional” by Nick Wright for the way he dismissed the appearance of a Rising Stars team in the All-Star Tournament when they were one of its few redeeming qualities. During last season’s playoffs, he used the airtime he had to repeatedly crush Rudy Gobert as the best he had to offer.
Whatever bright future Draymond Green once had in television has gone the way of his three-point shot. Suppose a legitimate sports reporter had said what he did about Towns and had it immediately been proven wrong and highly inappropriate. In that case, they would likely face a hefty suspension or wouldn’t have a job in the media industry anymore. So why should Green be held to a different standard if he wants a future on television just because he’s an active player with a podcast?
Maybe it’s beside the point if the Warriors make another deep run in the postseason, but if Green becomes available this spring, TNT should take a pass. As far as the future goes, any network considering him the face of their NBA coverage should do likewise.