Draymond Green has never been one to avoid confrontation.
Only on Thursday, his target wasn’t an opposing player, but rather NBC Sports Bay Area host Bonta Hill.
Following the Golden State Warriors’ 110-99 victory over the New York Knicks, Green joined his team’s television partner for a routine postgame interview. Hill started with a question about the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden, but before he could finish, the 4-time All-Star cut him off by sarcastically expressing surprise that Hill would be willing to interview him.
“Bonta, I’m shocked you’re talking to me,” Green said. “The way you were talking about me when I got suspended, I’m very shocked you’re talking to me.”
“Really? Really? Really?” a seemingly equally surprised Hill replied.
“Yeah, go ahead though,” Green said though.
Hill proceeded to ask the 4-time NBA champion about playing at MSG, with Green replying with the bare minimum of, “It’s always a fun game.”
“Bonta, I’m shocked you’re talking to me. The way you were talking about me when I got suspended, I’m very shocked you’re talking to me.”
– Draymond Green. 😂
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 1, 2024
It’s tough to tell what comment of Hill’s Green was referring to — mainly because the 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year has been suspended on multiple occasions this season. During both suspensions, Hill was critical of Green, whose on-court behavior has become one of the primary storylines of this NBA season.
In a all likelihood, Green was referring to comments made on 95.7 The Game’s The Morning Roast during his most recent suspension, in which Hill expressed skepticism about the 33-year-old’s ability to change his on-court approach.
“I don’t know if he’s going to change,” Hill said. “The culture is fractured right now because of this guy. It is. Our culture is up in the air. And then I think about the young guys. How are they supposed to follow him? How are they supposed to follow him as a leader and he’s doing what he’s doing?”
I wonder if this January clip is what Draymond was referring to about Bonta.
They even implied possibly trading Dray by referencing the Tyreek Hill Chiefs to Dolphins move & how KC won in 2023 last year without him. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/4FjNZJ3tDa
— Eli 🦋 (@OakTownEli) March 1, 2024
Regardless of which specific comments Green took offense to, the reality is that the hosts of regional sports networks like Hill have to wear many hats.
While they aren’t necessarily employees of the teams they cover, they aren’t exactly neutral observers either. If anything, it’s a credit to Hill that he was willing to be critical of Green, when it would have been more comfortable for him to take the path of less resistance.
Conversely, if you’re going to say something about a player you routinely talk to, then you also have to be prepared for him to respond. In this specific scenario, Hill appeared to be caught off-guard, but did an admirable job of not letting Green’s response derail the rest of the interview.
