Draymond Green has weighed in on the GOAT debate. Kind of.
Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Green answered a question about James’ cache around the NBA by calling him “arguably the greatest player of all time” with a “flawless resume.”
That bite picked up steam on social media, and understandably so. Many who argue Michael Jordan or Bill Russell’s place atop the list of the greatest players of all time quickly point to James’ six Finals losses (especially in 2011 to an on-paper inferior Dallas Mavericks team) as glaring holes in his GOAT credibility.
Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Bulls news and analysis.
But, to be fair to Green, this one was plucked a bit out of context. The question posed to him was about how much sway James has in terms of players deciding whether to play in the NBA’s 22-team restart near Orlando, Fla. in the wake of Patrick Beverley tweeting the following:
And Green’s answer was about way more than just basketball.
“I think LeBron yields a lot of power, as he should. Arguably the greatest player of all time, you look at his resume, it’s flawless, on and off the court,” Green said on the show. “The things that he’s been able to do on the court, obviously spectacular. But it’s more important the things he’s been able to accomplish off the court, and that’s where he gets the utmost respect from me from.
NBA
"It’s not about, for me, what he’s done on the basketball court. As a competitor, I enjoy against playing against him, you enjoy playing against the best. But what he’s done off the court and the initiatives that he’s been able to lead, and this is just another example of that. I have the utmost respect for him, and hopefully he runs for President one day.”
Green appeared on First Take to promote the “More Than A Vote” organization, which James and numerous other Black athletes and entertainers are spearheading. The organization’s mission statement is to inspire African-Americans to register and vote in upcoming elections, and also combat voter suppression.
Hear Green discuss the organization and its initiatives below: