Draymond Green is one of the only newcomers to the Inside the NBA world since Shaquille O’Neal joined over a decade ago, so it isn’t a surprise the panel was split on Green’s recent indefinite suspension.
After all, Green is not only a TNT colleague but a fierce competitor who has kindred spirits in O’Neal and Charles Barkley and a longtime admirer in Kenny Smith.
On Tuesday night’s Inside the NBA, O’Neal proclaimed he saw nothing concerning from Green’s recent behavior, which includes putting one rival center in a headlock and smacking another in the face.
“I hate that you all put that narrative on him … that man don’t need counseling,” O’Neal argued. “Off the court, he’s a solid human being … everybody has to have a certain character on the court.”
"There's nothing wrong with Draymond Green"
Shaq and the Inside the NBA crew debate the suspension for the Golden State Warriors forward (and their TNT coworker) pic.twitter.com/TnsjSctRYe
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 20, 2023
O’Neal went on to explain that the edge Green plays with was not only fundamental to who he is as an athlete but also widely lauded in previous seasons. So he sees no reason to turn the conversation now toward mental health or intervention simply because media reports reference it as such.
“There’s nothing wrong with Draymond Green,” O’Neal added.
The rest of the panel pushed back, arguing Green’s recent behavior crossed a line. When taking past mistakes into account, they believed the NBA punishment was reasonable.
Smith said Green was simply too big a distraction and time-suck than the Warriors could handle anymore.
To close the segment, Barkley gave his perspective simply.
“You can’t choke people or punch them in the face,” he said.
Considering Green was expected to join Inside after retiring, the words of his eventual colleagues are pretty important to his future. Especially as media watchers and NBA analysts question whether Warner Bros. Discovery suits will continue their relationship with Green.
We don’t know Green’s future in media, but even at TNT, his approval is no longer close to universal.
[Inside the NBA, Photo Credit: Inside the NBA on TNT]
