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Across the NBA, players and teams took to social media this week to share messages in support of International Women’s Day. Draymond Green was not one of them.
On the day meant to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, the Golden State Warriors big man with a history of promoting efforts to empower women instead explained why he believes celebrating the day actually alienates them.
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Green Explains Why He Won’t Celebrate
In a message posted to his Instagram stories, Green wrote that he had initially considered sharing a message in support of the day, but decided against it. Green said he believes it’s not helpful to boil the celebration down to a single day.
“In my opinion, celebrating international womens day further alienates women. As does celebrating [Black History Month], further alienates melanated people,” he wrote. “We all scream and yell equality but celebrate the exact days/months that pushes us further away from ‘equality.'”
Green went on to write that he doesn’t understand why women can’t be celebrated every day, just as he wondered why black people were not celebrated every day.
Green has long been an advocate of empowering women, and has been one of the NBA’s leading figures in some of these efforts. In 2016, USA Today highlighted Green for his participation in a joint campaign between the league and LeanIn.org, an organization that seeks to empower women and encourage men to support the women in their lives.
At the time, Green said he took the role seriously and encouraged others to step up.
“You’re talking gender equality and providing better opportunities for women and building stronger relationships in the family and the workplace. We’re all affected by that every single day,” he said. “We can all do a lot better. It’s important to continue to spread these messages. The better we get at these things, the more it’s going to help.”
Green Still Involved in Team Efforts
While he may not be in favor of social media posts paying homage to International Women’s Day, Green was still very involved in his team’s efforts to honor women this year.
The team put out a video in celebration of Women’s Empowerment Month in which Green shared what it means to be a girl dad. The video included pictures of Green posing on the bench with his 6-year-old daughter and showed him explaining how he tries to serve as a role model for her.
“You know I try to instill confidence in her, and I’m proud of that,” he said.
The team has sponsored a number of efforts to honor International Women’s Day and to empower women in general. Back in 2019, the Warriors Community Foundation hosted the Nuggets, a group from Techbridge Girls that helps girls from low-income communities participate in the STEM fields. Throughout that season, the team also donated $500 for every made three-pointer to Techbridge Girls and other groups that help low-income youth.
In a story shared on the team website to announce the partnership, the Warriors seemed to adopt Green’s approach of making the efforts more than just one day or one month.
“While March is dedicated to women’s empowerment, it really is much more than a campaign with an end date,” the team’s page read.
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