Still as vocal despite a loss of influence on the NBA floors, Draymond Green recently tackled a thorny subject. According to him, fans and observers would not judge players like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic in the same way!
Some might have thought that the controversial clash with Jordan Poole in pre-season would get the better of his big mouth. It was misunderstanding Draymond Green. Certainly affected at first by this sulphurous episode, the big man of the Warriors has not lost his outspokenness. At the head of his own podcast, he still delivers controversial statements from time to time.
Draymond Green shocks about Jokic and Doncic
For the past few days, several former league analysts have been launching accusations of racism against the NBA and its community. So, for one of them, some MVPs wouldn’t have won the trophy… only because they were white. Draymond has stuck to that same line recently, complaining about alleged preferential treatment given to Europeans like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic:
.@Money23Green and Gilbert Arenas speak on European players not being held to the same standard as US players pic.twitter.com/Vav5uIUzg1
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 2, 2023
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I saw a list by Stephen A., where he enumerated the players most under pressure in the quest for a title. Looks like James Harden was 1st, Chris Paul 2nd, Jayson Tatum 3rd, Nikola Jokic 4th, and Luka Doncic wasn’t even listed. I have a feeling that European players don’t get the same criticism as Americans when they don’t win titles, and I don’t understand.
A hot take validated by Gilbert Arenas, guest of the show, who goes even further in his interpretation:
It is pure injustice. Of course Luka and Jokic are good, and European players dominate when they arrive here, but are they judged by the same standards? (…) There is no logic in the fact that JT is in this list! He’s only 24 or 25!
A last argument that can be agreed on this subject, but which can therefore also apply to Doncic, even younger than Tatum. Similarly, the cases of Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antetokounmpo, much criticized before being both crowned champions, can serve as counter-examples. No wonder, therefore, that most Internet users do not share the clear opinion of Green and Arenas on this point!
For Draymond Green, no doubt: the Europeans would benefit from more leniency when they fail to win a championship ring. Not sure, however, that Nikola Jokic will slip through the cracks if he fails for example this season!