Jonathan Zaslow just turned Draymond Green’s favorite complaint back on him. The Zaslow Show 2.0 host says Green is guilty of the exact media sins he rails against with his most recent example surrounding an old teammate.
What We Know: Draymond Green and Klay Thompson won four Warriors titles together, from 2015 to 2022. Thompson signed with the Miami Heat this offseason, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Green has criticized sports media for years, once calling league coverage “awful.” He recently accused outlets of hyping Thompson only to tear him down later. Moreover, that’s where Zaslow took issue with the commentary and responded on Thursday.
What They Said: (All quotes via Zaslow Show 2.0):
Jonathan Zaslow believes Draymond Green is everything he says he hates about media: “Everything that he chastises the media about, all of those things that he doesn’t like about the media, he’s the kingpin of all of those. He’s the leader of all of those. He does all of the things that he complains about the media doing. When we’re not celebrating the game. When we’re tearing down players and when we’re making shit up about players. Draymond Green and lying about narratives. Draymond Green, all the things he complains that he doesn’t like that have taken place in the media for however many years. He does all of it, all of it.”
Jonathan Zaslow on where Draymond Green’s media narrative is wrong in regards to Klay Thompson signing with the Miami Heat: “Draymond’s the only one who’s out there reminding everyone that this is not an all-star version of Klay Thompson. No one else. Draymond, his [Thompson] former teammate, is the one making sure we all know he’s not the same old Klay Thompson. What a di**head. Seriously, what a di**head. He’s the only one who is speaking about Klay Thompson like this.”
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear whether Zaslow’s criticism will spark a response from Green’s podcast.
What It Means: The exchange shows how player-media friction has intensified as podcasts blur old lines of traditional coverage. Then again, Green does a lot of complaining about traditional media on his platform. But, he gets rewarded with opportunities to participate in the industry that he chastises. Moreover, Green now sits on both sides of the coverage he criticizes. Meanwhile, the noise adds pressure on Thompson before he even takes the floor in Miami.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.