Getty Draymond Green walks onto the court for a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Boisterous NBA star Draymond Green has a future beyond the Golden State Warriors, and it could be starting sooner than anyone thought.
Andrew Marchand, a sports media columnist for the New York Post, reported on Thursday, Aug. 26 that ESPN is interested in Green on a temporary basis for NBA coverage, even before his career in the league comes to a close.
ESPN would like Draymond Green for some part-time work.
According to Marchand’s report, top ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has been making some requests. Among them, Smith is interested in teaming up with Magic Johnson and fellow ESPN personality Michael Wilbon on NBA Countdown, the network’s pregame show that precedes featured games.
“ESPN also has interest in Draymond Green but, as an active player, the Warriors forward would only be available on occasion,” Marchand wrote.
Presumably, Green would be an occasional feature on the show with Smith and others, as well as a potential addition to separate NBA-based programming during the offseason or after the Warriors have been eliminated from contention.
Green has previously appeared several times on TNT’s award-winning pregame and postgame show Inside the NBA, alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal.
Green Making Headlines for Variety of Reasons
GettyGolden State Warriors forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green during a game in 2018.
Green last week interviewed former Warriors and US Olympic Men’s Basketball teammate Kevin Durant for his Bleacher Report show Chips.
The central topic of the discussion was the altercation between the two forwards during the 2018-19 season, which preceded Durant’s departure from Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets. It has often been speculated that the confrontation was at least partially responsible for Durant’s decision to leave, though none of the primary parties have ever conceded the accuracy of that assertion.
In fact, during the conversation, both Durant and Green said that was not precisely the case. Instead, they blamed head coach Steve Kerr and president of basketball operations Bob Myers handling of the situation for the breakup of a dynasty that went to three straight NBA Finals, winning two of them.
“In my opinion, after year two, you were over it,” Green said to Durant. “You were done with it and were on to the next thing, but we had the opportunity to three-peat. In my mind what brought you back for year three was just the opportunity to three-peat, but it didn’t feel right for you no more.”
While that was more of a statement, Green eventually did go on to ask an actual question.
“How much did our argument against the Clippers drive you to ultimately leave the Warriors?” he asked Durant.
“It wasn’t the argument,” Durant replied. “It was the way that everybody, Steve Kerr, acted like it didn’t happen. Bob Myers and them tried to just discipline you and think that that would put the mask over everything.”
“We had to get that s*** all out.”
Green has Allure as Future Broadcaster
GettyDraymond Green celebrates after Team USA wins the gold medal.
Green has amassed impressive career numbers during his time in the NBA.
Over his nine seasons with the Warriors, Green has won three NBA titles and has been a member of two Olympic gold medal teams. He has also been selected to an All-NBA Defensive Team six times, is a three-time All-Star selection and has won a Defensive Player of the Year Award.
The Warriors forward has a reputation as a brash and outspoken personality willing to share what is on his mind, which can be dangerous on broadcast television but also helps to drive ratings.
Based on Marchand’s report Thursday, Green could be the subject of a bidding war after he retires, working as a media personality sure to draw eyes and make waves.