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• Updated May 4, 2026 at 10:11pm

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 10: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors complains about a call during the second half of their game against the Chicago Bulls at Chase Center on March 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

An explosive response from Draymond Green saw him trashing Austin Rivers for some comments that he took offense to. Rivers is currently a media personality for NBC and does his own podcasting work after his NBA career ended. Green was livid about Rivers claiming that Draymond was “ridiculous” for thinking he could have been a better offensive player in a different NBA system than Steve Kerr’s.

The Draymond Green Show podcast was used today by Draymond for a response, including a claim that Rivers benefited from nepotism:

“Austin, you and I averaged the same amount of points in high school and I say high school because that’s when you were at your best. Should he really talk about my NBA career? The guy received the biggest bailout in US history prior to President Trump bailing out the airlines when his dad gave him 42 million dollars.”

Green delivered a couple of vicious insults to make it more personal when replying to Rivers. The early high school success of Rivers made him one of the top basketball products of his time, and Green called out that Austin’s career peaked there as a teenager. Draymond also references how Doc Rivers gave Austin a strong contract with the Los Angeles Clippers when many felt he barely deserved a spot in the NBA.

Is Draymond Green’s Criticism Fair About Austin Rivers?

Green’s comments are fascinating due to the truth behind them. Rivers clearly never lived up to his hype from high school or even from his college days playing for Duke. Despite not living up to the hype, Austin did get a controversial contract that his father Doc was responsible for.

However, the bigger point made by Draymond is that a player of Austin’s caliber should not be allowed to speak about him. Green wanted the NBA world to know that he doesn’t respect Rivers, nor does he think the former NBA guard is in the same stratosphere as him as a basketball player.

The point suffers a little when Draymond wants to decipher which former players can or can’t talk about him. One could argue that Green shouldn’t be allowed to comment on GOAT conversations about names like LeBron James and Michael Jordan, who are above him. Many NBA role players have become strong broadcasters throughout the years.

What Exactly Austin Rivers Said About Draymond Green

Rivers was actually asked about Green’s comments about Kerr when appearing on the Dan Patrick Show. The show put him on the spot to provide a real answer to a controversial statement. Rivers said the following to upset Draymond:

“It’s ridiculous. Draymond has such a high IQ. A big part of his game is how smart of a basketball player he is. So, it bewilders me that he even thinks like this. Steve… letting you have that voice… be the emotional leader for the team. Steve let him be who he was.”

The funniest thing about Green’s anger about this comment is that most agree with it. Kerr is credited with using Draymond more than previous Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson did and even started him over former All-Star David Lee. Green was generally mocked for his comment, but he felt most disrespected by Rivers doing it.