In 2012, Draymond Green was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft. For nine seasons, Green has not only helped the Warriors to three NBA Championships throughout his time in San Francisco, but he has also raised revenue, as he has always been an exciting player to watch. While Green is a talented power forward who plays with grit and intensity, he is equally as passionate about equality and righteousness as he is about the love of the game. Like many professional athletes, Green has continuously used his status as a professional athlete as a platform to express his beliefs about the injustices that occur both on and off the hardwood. 

      In a post-game interview in mid-February 2021, Draymond Green publicly expressed his opinion on the hypocrisy that exists in the NBA regarding the treatment of players and teams, specifically when handling trades. While this has been a topic of concern for many years, Green was triggered by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ treatment of starting center Andre Drummond leading up to their matchup against the Warriors. Draymond believes that the Cavs’ organization utterly disrespected Drummond when Cleveland made the decision to pull their longest-starting center from the lineup Monday afternoon. The decision was prompted by potential trade opportunities involving Drummond; as his contract nears its expiration, the Cavs decided to play it safe by benching Drummond in order to mitigate the risk of injury, which would ultimately lower Drummond’s trading value during the negotiation process. 

While this may sound reasonable from a risk and reward standpoint, Green provides additional context that highlights the way in which the Cavs handled the situation that allows viewers to further understand the disrespect and unfair treatment that exists within the NBA. Green’s definition of hypocrisy states: “To watch Andre Drummond before the game sit on the sideline, then go to the back and come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him.” Green continues to use James Harden as another example in order to highlight the internal double standard that exists within the NBA during a trade negotiation: referring to Harden’s desire to be traded to another team, Green says “Everybody destroyed that man, and yet a team can come out and say ‘oh we want to trade a guy’ and then that guy is to go sit, and if he doesn’t stay professional, then he’s a cancer, he’s not good in someone’s locker room, and he’s the issue.” 

      Calmy, yet passionately, Draymond continued, citing more examples of NBA players and their unique situations that highlight the hypocrisy of how players and teams are expected to handle trade opportunities, talks and negotiations. Harrison Barnes was pulled off the bench during a game, while Demarcus Cousins found out he had been drafted in an interview following the All-Star Game, as his team didn’t have the decency to personally deliver the news. Draymond illustrated the double standard further by citing Anthony Davis’ situation, as he was fined around $100,000 for publicly demanding a trade, yet organizations and teams can publicly express and demand trades without penalty. Arguably, the most important point Green made is the example involving Kyrie Irving, who earlier in the season took time off to take care of his mental health. In a time when mental health issues are becoming increasingly more common as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is discouraging to see organizations, teams and the media negatively publicize Irving. In the last year, many athletes have utilized their platforms to spread awareness and change society’s perspective on these illnesses that severely affect individuals on a daily basis. WNBA star Kayla McBride and NBA star Kevin Love have both publicly shared their experiences with mental health, empowering individuals with their stories. As a leader on the court and an activist for justice and reform, Green shed light on the hypocrisy within the NBA and the double standards that exist between players and organizations. As motivators and idols for many individuals, it is important that players continue to demand the respect they deserve, especially when it comes to players’ well-being, as the health and safety of individuals should always be of the utmost importance.