Draymond Green gets blasted for claiming Rising Stars shouldn’t face All-Stars on Sunday: “Just beat them then”

Draymond Green caught flak from fans after his controversial opinions about the NBA's revamped All-Star format featuring the Rising Stars.

Draymond Green gets blasted for claiming Rising Stars shouldn’t face All-Stars on Sunday: “Just beat them then”

Draymond Green hits out at Rising Star inclusion in All-Star Weekend

If there’s one thing that is expected from Draymond Green, it’s his penchant for creating controversy with his unabashed opinions about anything and everything. Green never fears voicing his opinions, so he had to let his latest controversial takes fly about the NBA Rising Stars facing off against the NBA All-Stars. More specifically, his disdain for the face-off.

The Golden State Warriors veteran made headlines when he voiced his frustration over the Rising Stars team getting a shot at competing in the All-Star Game on Sunday. Draymond Green made it clear that he believes young players haven’t earned the right to share the stage with the league’s elite. In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Spears, Green revealed his reasons for the younger stars not having earned their stripes to compete on NBA All-Star Sunday.

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These young guys, if they’re on the Rising Stars team, they don’t deserve the privilege of playing on Sunday.

Draymond Green told Marc Spears of ESPN

The NBA’s revamped All-Star Game format this year will see the winner of the Rising Stars Game get to play in a four-team tournament against the established All-Stars selected to represent the best talent in the league. debate has erupted over whether the young players deserve this opportunity. But according to Green, the young guns need to prove their merit before sharing the biggest stage of the weekend.

As a 4x All-Star himself, Draymond Green would certainly know best about what makes someone deserving to play in the All-Star Game. But with a squad of 24 All-Stars across both conferences, Adam Silver and the NBA felt that drifting away from the traditional East versus West format of the game in favor of a competitive tournament may be the best way to reintroduce competition to its marquee event – a decision that Green’s teammate Stephen Curry played a crucial role in.

Draymond Green under fire from fans for Rising Star comments

Draymond Green’s comments did not sit well with many fans. For years, NBA fans have fought for the league to introduce ways to make the All-Star Game more interesting after years of lackluster and uncompetitive showings by the league’s best. The introduction of the Rising stars may be a way to do so, and Green’s pushback to this initiative caused much criticism online from fans.

Despite Green’s resistance, the new format has drawn significant intrigue. The Rising Stars team, coached by WNBA legend Candace Parker, will take on Team OG’s, coached by Shaquille O’Neal, in the first round of the tournament. If the Rising Stars managed to pull off an upset, it could definitely cause a shake-up for fans and players.

The potential for a group of up-and-coming stars to challenge established legends like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry is definitely one of the more exciting prospects of the new All-Star game and will hopefully ensure that the ‘OG’s’ put their best foot forward when it comes to the All-Star weekend.

While some veterans like Draymond Green may see this as a dilution of the All-Star Game’s prestige, the fans and players do recognize the need for change. The event is evolving, and the presence of young, motivated players could be exactly what’s needed to bring back some real competition.