“And one.”
If you frequent Oracle Arena in Oakland or watch Golden State Warriors games, you are familiar with that quote. It seems that Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Green can be heard screaming this to officials at least a half dozen times on a nightly basis.
It has helped Green be labeled as one of the biggest whiners in the game. And for good reason. He’s right up there with the LeBron James’ of the world in this category.
It now looks like Green’s former head coach at Michaigan State, Tom Izzo, agrees with this sentiment.
“What are you doing? You cry about every call,” Izzo said, according to Green (h/t Mark Medina of The Mercury News). “You’re worried about the wrong things.”
For the purpose of full disclosure, the two remain close to this day.
“My relationship with him (Izzo) has meant a lot,” Green said. “I can always get an unbiased opinion from somebody who really knows the game of basketball, which is special. He’s somebody that will tell me, ‘You’re wrong.’”
Maybe, Green will take this to heart. Even those who find it in them to root for the Warriors can agree that Green needs to simply shut his mouth at times. He’s already received three technicals and has been ejected once on the season.
Green’s passion it what makes the defending champs go. But it could have cost them the NBA Finals two seasons ago. Let’s all hope he listens to a man in Izzo that the All-Star obviously respects.