I bring this up because I have dealt with bullying and sometimes the only way to beat a bully is to beat a bully. Over the years, NBA player Draymond Green has developed a reputation as being a tough guy. Not only through his hard-nosed play on the court, but through his aggressive attitude toward opposing players and referees.
Personally, I have no problem with his blue-collar approach and no-nonsense demeanor. In fact, the NBA I grew up watching had a quite few of these guys who had the same traits. On the other hand, he also has picked up the stigma of being a bully, which I don’t like. Recently footage surfaced of Green punching his teammate Jordan Poole in the face during practice. The video doesn’t have any audio, so it is unclear what was said by the two, but the punch seemed uncaused.
This isn’t the first time that Green has done something that people would consider dirty. There is actually a couple of videos on YouTube that compile how many times Green has kicked an opposing player; sometimes in the groin.
I played basketball for many years and kicking was not part of the game. I don’t know about other people, but where I’m from, kicking someone unintentionally or not could result in a fight. Then there is the verbal bullying that he has displayed over the years. There are several videos where he could be heard or seen on his lips calling someone a disrespectful name.
The most famous incident occurred a few years ago when he called his then-teammate Kevin Durant a bitch!
Once again, I’m not sure how they do it at other places, but on the West Side of Chicago, those are fighting words.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, these incidents are an example of bullying. The fact that Green has been able to get away with it, shows me two things. One, that either people are scared of him, or two he has confronted the right or wrong person. Either way, coming from where I’m from, sometimes the only way to make a bully stop his antics is to give him an old fashion ass-kicking!