1. This sort of got lost in the shuffle because it happened on Friday and then the weekend came and went, but it irritated me so much, I have to write about it today.
I don’t know if Draymond Green has been part of so many controversies in his career that he is playing a role at this point, or if Draymond Green is like a WWE wrestler who just prefers being a heel to being a babyface, or if Draymond Green is just showing us exactly who he is, but what he did last week was completely disgraceful.
The backstory: Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns missed last Tuesday’s game for what was then called personal reasons.
Green then went on his podcast and speculated that Towns decided to skip the game against his team because he was afraid of Jimmy Butler.
“That was a big game for us,” Green said. “And obviously, they ain’t have KAT. Some would say he didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building. I don’t know. I saw KAT’s pops at the game yesterday. I got incredible love for the OG, his pops is an incredible man. But yeah, they say KAT didn’t play because Jimmy came into town. You know him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota.”
O.K., so while this theory is incredibly dumb, if you wanted to give Green the benefit of the doubt, you could say he was partaking in some trash-talking and maybe trying to get in Towns’s head. That’s the best-case scenario.
However, when Green was told Towns missed the game because he attended the funeral of a close family friend who passed away from breast cancer, Green had a bizarre and heartless response.
“That’s unfortunate, I’m sorry to hear that. That sucks,” Green said. “But my comments that I made were, you know, ‘People, what I heard was this.’ That’s what I heard. So I do send my well wishes to him and his family.
“It’s inevitable, we all experience death in one way or another, and we’ll all experience it in the same way one day. So it’s unfortunate, you never wish that on anybody, but The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis must go on.
“So, I definitely, um, wish him well and wish his family well in grieving because we all go through that and it’s never easy for anyone. The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis will go on."
Q "You seen reaction to your KAT comments [that he ducked game v Warriors]? Were you aware of circumstances?"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 7, 2025
Draymond "No"
Q "He was at funeral for family friend"
Draymond "Oh man…But what I heard was…what I heard…I send well wishes…but the Draymond Green Show will go on" pic.twitter.com/jy0RICbUvv
I ask this with all sincerity: What the f--- does that even mean? The lack of remorse is astonishing.
Let’s sum up: Green throws out a baseless theory about Towns skipping a game because he’s afraid of an opponent. Then he defends his comments by saying that’s what he heard. Then he barely offers an apology that hardly came off as sincere and then he plugs his podcast as part of that apology.
What makes this entire saga really sad is that Green is employed by TNT. It’s a weird partnership already because Green is an active player. But the constant controversies that Green finds himself in, including this latest one which is just totally gross, just makes him more appealing to those in the TV industry because controversy equals cash.
2. Barstool Sports’s Big Cat is on an incredible betting run that hopefully won’t come to an end because it’s now getting so much attention.
Big Cat has picked 16 college basketball games in the month of March. He is 16–0. The record is now getting shouted out during games and by Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.
Thank you @TimDoyle00. First announcer to respect the streak. What a moment pic.twitter.com/3mS4MZbYoE
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) March 10, 2025
My guy @notthefakeSVP! Ryder! pic.twitter.com/0ejZCP3qRl
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) March 10, 2025
His pick for tonight’s slate is the over 146.5 points in the College of Charleston-UNC Wilmington game.
Done overthinking it. I have to trust my brain and go with my gut. You don’t get to 16-0 being scared. The pick is in
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) March 10, 2025
CoC/UNCW Over 146.5
Everyone get ready for a war tonight. We stay humble and hungry. Need buckets and buckets and more buckets. See you there @DKSportsbook
3. RGIII asked on X on Sunday if debate shows have ruined sports media. Here’s why that’s a really bad take.
Dear Sports fans, this is a safe space.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 9, 2025
Do you think debate shows and formats have destroyed sports media? Why or why not?
I’ll Start.
Debate shows have destroyed the way sports are covered.
They prioritize creating drama, controversy, and sensationalism over substance to…
Debate shows haven’t destroyed sports media. The people who watch the debate shows have destroyed sports media. If people didn’t watch debate shows, debate shows wouldn’t be on TV. Plain and simple. The TV business is like every business: supply and demand. Stephen A. Smith just got a $100 million contract because sports fans watch First Take. It’s not rocket science.
4. Only the great Bill Raftery could work in a fantastic reference to tariffs during a great call in a college basketball game.
5. Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson gave us some Kendrick Perkins during “Weekend Update” on the show's latest episode.
6. The latest episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features a conversation with The Ringer’s editor-at-large, Bryan Curtis, about all the latest sports media news.
Topics covered with Curtis include ESPN cancelling Around the Horn after 23 years and the status of the show's host, Tony Reali; Jimmy Johnson retiring from Fox NFL Sunday and what Fox may do for a replacement; Hard Knocks’s deal with the University of North Carolina and Bill Belichick falling apart; what the MLB-ESPN divorce means for each company and much more.
Following Curtis, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include Luka Doncic’s impact on the Lakers’ watchability, the shocking John Cena heel turn and Sal’s recent experience in Disney World. The segment closes with Jimmy reading and reacting to Apple reviews for the SI Media With Jimmy Traina.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 54th birthday to Jon Hamm, who had one of the best guest-starring roles in the history of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as It’s Sad and Telling That Draymond Green Would Have Appeal to Networks.
