Just a day ago, the full rosters for the most exciting basketball week in February, the All-Star Weekend, were announced. And while the selection of certain players, better yet, the snubbing of others, definitely caused strong reactions around the NBA world, there is one guy who took it a step further. Draymond Green .
Green has never been one of those who will keep his mouth shut when he sees something he doesn't like, or something he doesn't think is fair. And this time, the target of the Golden State Warriors forward was G League players, who found their way into this spectacular event without even having an NBA contract.
"You even look at, like, the Rookie vs. Sophomore game. And I talked about this last year, nobody gives a sh-t to see a G League players at NBA All-Star weekend," Dray proclaimed in the recent episode of "The Draymond Green Show."
Even though Green's words might be too harsh for some, the point still stands. This is supposed to be an NBA-only event, so calling up players from the G League in some way ruins the whole idea behind it. After all, the 24 players selected for the main All-Star Game should be chosen based on merit and on-court performance, not quotas or hidden agendas.
The reality, however, is that this basketball weekend in February has slowly lost its shine over the years. It became more boring than exciting, drifting further away from the must-watch event it once was. Because of that, league officials were forced to think through the next steps in order to somehow revive the entire spectacle.
Mac McClung , the three-time consecutive Slam Dunk Contest winner, is a perfect example of this dilemma. His dunks are out of this world, and he can rightfully be called one of the best dunkers in the game today. Still, the fact that he doesn't hold a full-time NBA contract is enough for Green to believe that the entire concept loses its meaning.
"And this whole can of worms opened up because we allowed G League players to be in the Dunk Contest. Well, in trying to save the Dunk Contest, G League players all of a sudden become players that play on the All-Star weekend. At the All-Star game. And it's just pathetic. You shouldn't be playing at the All-Star game if you don't even have an NBA contract. That just does not make sense," the Dubs enforcer argued.
On top of that, the G League will have a seven-man representation in the Rising Stars event, where they will compete against the best first- and second-year players from the league. The format will be a mini-tournament between three NBA teams and this G League selection.
It's no secret that the NBA All-Star Weekend is no longer at the level it was during the eras of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, or even Kobe Bryant . Too often, players use the game to casually chuck three-pointers without much effort or defensive pride. Commissioner Adam Silver has introduced a series of changes and incentives in an attempt to bring it back to where it belongs.
Aside from allowing G League players to step in and try to compete, the league has also introduced the International vs. Team World concept, which could potentially spark the level of competition fans feel they deserve; whether that will be enough remains to be seen.
For Dray, though, the solution is simple. If it's called NBA All-Star Weekend, it should stay strictly NBA, and it is on players and players alone to compete harder and give the people what they want to see.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
