Warriors' Draymond Green reacts to LeBron James' viral ‘ring culture' comments
LeBron James' viral comments about 'ring culture' quickly garnered the attention of the basketball and sports world, including that of Warriors star Draymond Green.
Advertisement
'I don't know why it's discussed so much in our sport and why it's the end-all, be-all of everything,' James said on the 'Mind the Game' podcast. 'You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Steve Nash weren't f–king unbelievable? They can't be talked about with these guys because they won rings? It's like saying Peyton Manning can't be in the same room with Tom Brady or [Patrick] Mahomes because he only has one ring.
'They don't ever discuss that in their sport. Barry Bonds never won a World Series, and you can't sit here and tell me that he's not the greatest baseball player to ever touch a bat. … Jerry West went to like nine straight NBA Finals and was only able to win one ring. And he's the logo of our league.'
Green and his podcast co-host Baron Davis discussed James' comments on the latest episode of 'The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,' where Davis initially said he 'definitely' agrees with James.
And while Green does as well, he shared a more thought-out response with a big-picture perspective.
Advertisement
'I think ring culture took a big turn and came into play in large part due to the success of the Golden State Warriors. What Bron was saying is that you get guys like Stephen A. [Smith], and to me it felt like Stephen A. is someone who talks a lot about rings, and you don't know what it takes to win a ring because you've never won a ring. You don't understand because you've never gone through it. And because you don't know how hard it is because you've never gone through it, then you start using it to lessen the greatness of some of the greats.
'Is having a ring important? Of course. Does it add to legacies? Does it stamp legacies? Absolutely. I'm not going to sit here and act like having a ring or rings doesn't matter. It does matter. But it doesn't make [Charles] Barkley less great than he was. It doesn't make Allen Iverson less great. I think when people use it, they use it to dim the greatness, dim the light on guys. And that's what I felt like Bron was getting at.'
To Green's point, both Barkley and Iverson are Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers, 11-time NBA All-Stars and one-time league MVPs.
But some critics have downplayed their greatness over the simple fact that they never hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Advertisement
In more recent times, players such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook and — probably more than anyone –Chris Paul, have been scrutinized for never getting over that hump of winning a championship.
'CP and James Harden, if they don't run into us [the Warriors], they probably do win a championship,' Green said. 'Sometimes, that's just how the cookie crumbles. But that don't mean those guys aren't great. That don't mean Chris Paul isn't a winner. Chris Paul is a winner. There's so many things that have to go right for you to win a championship.
'So to just lessen someone's greatness because of it, I think that's wrong. Again, I'm not saying that having the rings don't matter. When I walk in a room, I feel great about the four rings I have. But that does not lessen someone else's greatness.'
While people will have their own opinions and continue to debate their stance, Davis ended with a pretty level-headed statement.
Advertisement
'There are more great players than great players that won rings,' Davis said, as Green agreed. 'There are more great players who haven't won rings than great players that have won rings. That's the way we got to look at it.'
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Big takeaways from the Steelers first padded training camp practice
Wednesday was a huge day for the Pittsburgh Steelers at Saint Vincent College. After rain on Tuesday caused the Steelers to postpone their first padded practice, the crowd came out in droves today to see some hitting and to see Pat McAfee broadcasting live from practice. McAfee, the fans and the team did not disappoint. Here are our big takeaways from practice. Calvin Anderson and Troy Fautanu dominate The Steelers' starting offensive tackles got the best of the Steelers' top edge rushers today. Troy Fautanu and Calvin Anderson each went 2-0 against T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, respectively. Meanwhile, Broderick Jones remains sidelined with an injury. Calvin Austin burns Darius Slay One of the best plays of the day was wide receiver Calvin Austin turning on the jets and blowing past cornerback Darius Slay for an easy touchdown. Austin's speed might be the real X-Factor on the Steelers offense this season. Pat McAfee steals the show Practice was great but it was the live broadcast by Pat McAfee that stole the show. He had the fans fired up, players and coaches speaking freely and drew the biggest crowd Saint Vincent College had ever seen No big dust ups We expected a scrum or two between the offense and defensive lines but both sides kept their composure. Even in backs-on-backers, guys were physical and aggressive but hled it together. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Big takeaways from the Steelers first padded training camp practice
Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
The Quiz #483
Red and blue are two primary colors. What's the third? Play. Share. Listen with Orlando Magic forward & founder of UNITUS, Jonathan Isaac .
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Seattle Wins The MLB Trade Deadline By Adding Big Bat Suarez
The Seattle Mariners stepped up big. The Mariners have agreed to a trade with Arizona that will return slugger Eugenio Suarez to the Northwest, according to reports, a deal that both teams seemed compelled to make with the major league trade deadline in sight. The Mariners, tied with the Texas Rangers for the third and final AL wild card spot, looked to strengthen an offense that was 12th in the majors in runs despite Cal Raleigh's MVP-type season as they make a run for their first playoff berth in three seasons, and second since 2001. Third baseman Suarez was the biggest bat on the market. He has 36 homers this season and will complement catcher Raleigh in the middle of the order. Raleigh leads the majors with 41 homers, and he and Suarez are tied for the lead in RBIs with 87. The Mariners' lineup now ranks among the strongest in the majors — with leadoff man J.P. Crawford followed in some order by Julio Rodriguez, Raleigh, Suarez, Randy Arozarena and another former D-Back, first baseman Josh Naylor. The Mariners acquired Naylor on July 24 as the Diamondbacks began to offload their slew of top-tier potential free agents after beginning a free-fall that has stretched to eight losses in nine games. They are a season-low seven games below .500. Arizona, which was built for this season and was operating with a franchise-record $187 million payroll, was swept by the Detroit Tigers hours before the Suarez trade and is nine games behind the San Diego Padres for the third NL wild card spot with five teams to pass. As their playoff chances decreased to 1.6 percent per FanGraphs, the Diamondbacks faced the reality that moving Suarez was necessary. They received first baseman Tyler Locklear and minor league right-handed relievers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos for Suarez. Suarez with hit by a pitch in his right hand in the ninth inning of a 5-1 loss to Detroit on Monday and was forced to leave the game, leading some to wonder if potential trading partners would have second thoughts. X-rays were negative, and Suarez returned to the lineup with a double in four plate appearances Wednesday. Mariners' Major Moves Come With History The deal is the biggest in Jerry Dipoto's 10 seasons as the Mariners' president of baseball operations, and it came almost two years after he was criticized inside and out for standing pat at the 2023 deadline, when the Mariners were in the playoff hunt. They won 88 games but finished one game behind Toronto for the final wild card spot. Raleigh was among those expressing frustration the day the Mariners were eliminated, although the sides cleared the air and Raleigh signed a six-year, $105 million free agent deal late in spring training. "We've got to commit to winning,' Raleigh said at the time. 'We have to commit to going and getting those players. You see other teams going out, going for it, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters. We have to do that to keep up.' The Mariners did just that with Suarez, who is playing on an expiring contract that will pay him $15 million this season. He will be a free agent this winter, but the trade was about now for the Mariners. Suarez had 53 homers and 183 RBIs in two seasons with Seattle before being sent to the Diamondbacks for pitcher Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala, a trade that looks dreadful in hindsight. Only Vargas remains. Suarez was on the Mariners' 2022 playoff team that beat Toronto in the wild card but was swept by AL West champion Houston in the division series. The Astros lead the West by five games over the Mariners and Rangers now. Where Do the Diamondbacks Go From Here? Arizona general manager Mike Hazen seemingly acquired his first baseman of the future in right-handed-hitting Locklear, who has 19 homers and 82 RBIs in his first full season at Triple-A Tacoma this year after 16 homers and 67 RBIs at two minor league stops in 2024. He was the Mariners' second-round pick in the 2022 draft and was ranked the No. 9 prospect in the Seattle organization by MLB Pipeline. Cranton and Burgos were ranked Nos. 16-17. A hole at third base remains with the loss of Suarez, although top prospect Jordan Lawlar is the logical candidate to step in. Hazen may be forced to trade 'walk year' starters Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen by Thursday's deadline. Kelly, who is 9-6 with a 3.22 ERA, is having the better year, but at 36 is seven years older than Gallen. 'This is this is not the position I anticipated us being in,' Hazen told reporters after trading Naylor. 'At some point, I have to take a step back from what I want to do and focus on what the what the greater good for the organization is.' Kelly and Gallen have expressed a desire to stay, but the economics work against that. If they remain with the D-Backs through the season, both would become free agents and could be tendered a qualifying offer over the winter. That qualifying offer was $21.05 million last winter. The D-Backs may not be in a position to reach that high. They have $102 million committed to nine players in 2026, including the $30.9 million owed injured right-hander Corbin Burnes, who is expected to miss most if not all of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Kelly, who has played under club-friendly terms in his seven seasons in Arizona, seems likely to test the market.
