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Draymond Green questions whether some NBA officials are too old, need to retire
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- Draymond Green questions whether some NBA officials are too old, need to retire
Draymond Green questions whether some NBA officials are too old, need to retire originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green didn't mince words when discussing NBA officiating on the latest episode of "The Draymond Green Show," raising pointed questions about accountability — and even age — among league referees.
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Green's comments came in the aftermath of coach Steve Kerr's emotional ejection during the Warriors' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, a game that later featured a public admission from officials that a crucial call had been missed.
On his podcast, Green touched on how repeated officiating mistakes can heighten emotions when players and coaches feel they have no recourse.
"If you feel like something is blatantly happening to you over and over, it raises that level of emotion," Green said. "You look at these situations, and it's like, 'Man, that was wrong for sure.' Steve got upset — rightfully so. You can't take the ejection back, but these things cost you real money."
Green then addressed accountability within the league.
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"I'm not allowed to be blatantly wrong over and over again in my job," Green noted. "If I am, I'm going to lose my job. But I haven't really seen many officials lose their jobs."
The Warriors forward went a step further, questioning whether some referees are still physically equipped to officiate at the NBA level.
"There are officials who have been in the league way before I came in and can barely move, and they're still officiating," Green added. "Sometimes people get so elderly and they're on the road — it can be dangerous for themselves and for others …There are some officials who've been in the league a long time and don't move well anymore, and they just keep going. It's not really one of those jobs where you just lose your job."
Green connected those issues back to defending Kerr's ejection, emphasizing that there's always a moment where patience runs out.
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"Speaking on Steve's ejection — yeah, I thought it was rightfully so," Green said. "Because at what point does it stop?"
For Green, the frustration is less about one call and more about how long it's allowed to continue.
